Johnny Preggers
by ifyoucatchacriminal
Summary: Basically John/Carson slash with M-Preg. I know it's taboo but it's a sweet story...
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is only my second story so please be kind, and also note that my first is still in progress. **

**This is a little story about John and Carson and when I say 'little' I really mean an epic journey of ridiculous proportions, so stick with it if you can.**

**Obviously. Johnny is pregnant :L you don't see Ronan or Teyla just because it'd be one tangent after another and you wouldn't get any real story, although they do pop up now and again. Oh, and Carson never died in this so he's the real deal and not a clone – I just won't mention 'Sunday' in it. I think this story is kind of sweet, but hey, you can be the judge of that :) **

**As always, I'm open for suggestions...Happy reading :)**

"John, are you feeling alright? You look a little pale." The man walked into the infirmary breathing heavily. When he hunched over a bed, grabbing at his abdomen alarm bells went off in my head. I ran over to his side and held him up before he passed out.

"It fucking hurts doc." He strangled out amongst deep held breaths. I pulled him on the gurney he was leant on and he curled up into a ball. "Colonel, I know it's painful but I daren't medicate you until I know what's wrong. I'm going to go get an ultrasound and we'll figure it out."

I waved over a nurse and she rushed over, seeing the Colonel's complexion. "I need you to get an ultra sound and I need it now. Get Carter down here too." I barked out and she ran away. I turned back to John and picked up the bin next to the bed and lifted it to his face before he vomited. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything good.

Moments later the nurse came and I took the hand device and squirted some of the gel onto his stomach. Looking over his stomach I froze. "What's the hell is happening with me, doc?" He gritted out, his hair stuck down with sweat.

"John. You're...You're pregnant." He glared at me with angry eyes, "Stop mocking me and tell me what the fuck is wrong." I rubbed my forehead and he froze too, the gesture was typically something I did when a serious situation had occurred to me. "No." He said almost angrily.

There was nothing I could say. He looked so helpless, I mean, it's not every day you can tell a man that he's pregnant - even by Pegasus standards.

After a few tests and a blood test, I prescribed him some mild pain meds that I knew wouldn't affect the baby before leaving the infirmary. Carter was waiting for me just outside.

We walked in silence to her office. I sat down before her as she watched me carefully, I could barely sit still I was so anxious. "Carson, could you please tell me what the hell is going on? Is there something I should be worried about?" I shook my head, "Nay, there's no security risk or 'nything. Colonel Sheppard came in with what I initially thought may have been food poisoning or something but it turns out... turns out he's pregnant." She gawped at me.

"I know I'm not the medical doctor here but shouldn't that be impossible." I nodded, "I don't know how it's come about, well apart from the obvious but he basically has grown everything he needs in order to carry a child." She scratched at her temple as I carried on fidgeting.

I could feel her eyes on me after a while. "There's more?" She asked quietly and I nodded, I had lost all of my words. I was a stuttering mess. She came around and sat in the chair beside me. "What aren't you telling me?"

"We know the child isn't some wraith implant, it's a perfectly 'normal' human being. We ran some blood tests, DNA tests and things like that. Obviously, the child belongs to John but..." I lost heart and started stuttering. She grabbed the hand that was tightly wrapped around the arm of the chair.

"Carson, who's the other half?" She asked, looking straight in my eyes. I sighed and relaxed my grip a bit. A tear rolled down my face. "I am." I whispered and she paused for a moment before speaking up. "In order for me to protect the both of you I need to know everything... I mean everything."

"He wouldn't talk to Kate. He refused, hated the idea of being that open with somebody he knew nothing about." I started, "There was a rough mission and afterwards he was all tense. I took him down to the pier and we drank some whiskey. It took a fair amount but eventually he talked to me. It almost became ritual after that, hard missions called for a night on the pier."

"It wasn't just that though. We started spending time with each other in general; I got too close to be rational about him." A second tear rolled down my face, I felt so useless. "Teyla. That's when it..." I quickly changed the subject, "Teyla got kidnapped. After the whole drama he came and found me. He was all over the place. He was angry and hurt and he just felt so alone. We..." I couldn't say it but I saw it in her face that she understood what I was trying to say.

"Okay. That's enough Carson. I promise I will not let either of you come to any harm because of this. The two of you are part of my family here and I won't have anything happen to either of you." She squeezed my hand, "Now I don't know about you but if it was me that was in there I'd want the father of my child to be there for me. You need to talk to him Carson, he's going to be terrified and he needs you to just be there." I nod; I know that of course it just seems to be easier said than done.

**And that's chapter one right there :) Bless Carson, his whole world just turned on its head and he's got no idea...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so the chapters are pretty short but I think that's better when it's a long story so then it actually makes sense...**

**Happy reading**

I took her advice to heart, as well as her support and made my way back down to the infirmary. Before I had left I had passed John's care to Jen who'd been very gracious about the whole thing, despite it being an almost implausible situation.

When I got in he'd been moved to the far corner of the infirmary, Jennifer knew how private he was and this was not something he'd want anybody knowing about, at least not yet. The curtains were pulled all around but I could see through a tiny crack where there was darkness apart from the lamp that was turned away from him, keeping the space fairly dark.

I stroked down the seam of the curtain and sighed –my heart thrumming in my throat - before stepping in and completely closing them behind me. I slipped off my shoes and place my jacket messily on the chair next to the bed. He was facing the wall and didn't even acknowledge when I lay behind him, wrapping my arms around him, one acting as a pillow and one clutching his back into my chest.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, John. When you needed me most, I panicked which is ridiculous when you are the one that's going through this. I promise I won't run away again, I swear." I whispered in his ear and then kissed his temple. I kept my grip on him comfortingly tight as his body shook with silent sobs.

Once he calmed, I wiped away his tears and took to stroking his hair, something that seemed so mundane but to me it was an intimate gesture. "Carson." He said quietly and I lifted my head and balanced it on a raised hand so I could see his face. He wasn't about so say anything but I knew what I wanted to say at last.

"John, I know we've been so careful not to say it but… I've fallen in love with you." I buried my head into the back of his neck, taking in his smell as I dreaded what was to come. He turned in my grasp and pulled my chin up to look at him. He was frowning.

"I'm sorry John; it's not what you want to hear." I went to sit up but he dragged me back down and into a passionate kiss. I put a hand on his cheek, trying to stop my head from spinning as I pulled away. I'd never been kissed like that before. I rolled off him and onto my back but he still had a grasp of my hand. Up until now I'd never known the colonel to be so sentimental.

"Do you really?" He asked me almost hesitantly and I turned my head to look at him, squeezing his hand. "I never meant to but, you... How could I not love you?" He blushed and turned his face away from me but I pulled it back like he'd done to me earlier. "What's wrong?" I asked in a whisper.

"Did you ever want kids Carson?" It was a fair question. I took a moment to think before replying. "When I was younger I always pictured it. I mean, I know I didn't want the wife part but other than that... Yeah I guess I did. Recently I haven't got a clue, I got attached to the U.S. military that don't take kindly to knowing about people like me and then got shipped out to a different galaxy where we only had ourselves to rely on."

I saw his eyes go moist; "Let me ask you this, John. What do you want?" He let out a shaky breath accompanied by a tear which I gently wiped away. "Before we came to Atlantis, every Christmas eve I'd go to my brother's house with a trunk full of presents. He'd just elbow me in the ribs and tell me that I should get my own kids to spoil." He sighed heavily, "Nancy never wanted kids, couldn't. I love kids but I don't know if I can actually be a father."

His insecurity made me a little sad, I knew he'd be an amazing father, but I couldn't make a decision for him. "John, I love you - I think that this child will be just one more thing to love you for and I know that you'd make the most amazing father but I wouldn't stop loving you if you decided not to go through with it, I know this is a lot to handle. I promise you that I won't ever run away, no matter what happens." It ached in my heart to even consider him having an abortion. He must have seen it in my face because he just kissed me and I felt it go right through me. He curled into my chest again, lying on his side.

"This may be the only chance I get to have a real family; I don't think I can just give that up." I smiled as I kissed the spot just below his ear. _Family._ "I wouldn't want you to." I whispered in his ear, my relief evident.

**And that was the second chapter folks, hope you're enjoying it so far and as always, please comment or make suggestion or even have a whinge at me if you really feel like it :)**


	3. Chapter 3

After about half an hour, Jen popped through the curtain and smirked. I instantly jumped to sit up but John was far to sedate to move, I guess the shock took it out of him. "Sorry, Jen." She shook her head, "Don't be, although I think you'd have to apologize to a lot of women if they ever saw the sight of you two - there'd be many broken hearts." She joked and I blushed, scratching a hand over my head.

She stepped around the bed to John and gestured him to rollover, which he did. I moved onto the seat and carefully watched as Jen pressed at his stomach, looking for any tenderness which there was none.

"In my opinion, the pain wasn't anything to worry too much about. All the extra parts are just trying to squeeze in there and are causing some inflammation. It shouldn't be too bad from now on but at least we know how to treat it."

She looked softly over to John with a look of reassurance, "How far along is he Jen?" I asked, knowing that it was fairly important, "About eight weeks..." She looked over to me and then back at John with a more serious expression, "I don't suppose you've decided anything for definite have you?"

I stood up and took John's hand with a glint in my eye before looking over to her, "He's going through with it." I said simply and she let out a deep breath amongst a bright grin. She scooted around the bed to hug me after kissing John's cheek and squeaking out a 'congratulations'. I couldn't help but feel happy now.

She left after a few minutes of happy chit-chat, leaving John and I to bask a little. I took my position back on the bed, drawing circles on his hip bone. "I think we're going to be okay." He said with a small smile.

The morning after that night John was discharged but he didn't seem to want to leave my company much. After three days, I could sense Rodney was becoming a little annoyed. I tried to get John to talk to him but every time I did he went all quiet on me.

They were supposed to go on a mission today but Carter had given him some time to process what's going on. Major Lorne had kindly volunteered to escort the rest of the team to the planet on the schedule.

We were sat out on the balcony of John's quarters on the loungers, John in a large knitted cardigan that wrapped around his legs that were pulled up to his chest. I wouldn't have thought John would have owned such a feminine garment but it seemed to be quite valuable to him and when he wore it I couldn't help but look at him with such adoration.

The peace was disrupted by a furious Rodney, he stormed into the room all geared up and marched all the way over to John. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!? We were meant to be going on a mission but all of a sudden you've decided you don't want to go!" John sighed sadly so I piped up, "Rodney, Major Lorne is taking you, and you're still going on the mission." He spun on his heel to face me.

The glare he gave me just fueled my protectiveness, "What the hell are you doing here, Beckett?" I raised an eyebrow; he'd never been so rude to me before. His face turned to a panic, "Tell me he's not sick." He asked me, his voice about to crack. He turned back to Sheppard.

"I'm not sick Rodney." John said quietly, looking out at the ocean. "So what the hell is going on?" He asked more calmly, more scared than anything. "Rodney, go on your mission with Lorne and we'll talk when you get back, I promise." He looked like he was about to counter him but he surrendered and walked away.

Once Rodney had gone and John had relaxed again, he wandered back inside and lay on the bed. I followed him in moments later. I sat on the bed next to him and waited until he was ready to talk, he'd been like this for days apart from when we were out in public.

He turned over and pulled me down until I was lying over the top of him. He leaned up and dragged me into a kiss, pulling me close to him. "Carson." He murmured against my lips. We hadn't been close since we found out but at that moment he needed me. I needed him too.

I kissed him hard before easing off, swiping my tongue across his bottom lip until he let me in. He groaned when my teeth scraped across his lips and his back arched up. I smiled when I felt his hardness on my hip, I rocked up and his head dropped back as he moaned.

I slipped the cardigan off his shoulders, our lips staying connected as I did so. I unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it off as he did the same with mine. I kissed along his jaw and to the spot under is ear, making him moan under his breath. I moved down, placing soft kisses on his neck and chest and all the way down his abdomen.

It wasn't long before we were both naked and I had my hand wrapped around his length. He was writhing under my grip but I didn't want it to end like this.

I pulled the lube from the drawer beside the bed and prepared myself. Normally, I'd top but I think he needed me to trust him this time. I crawled over the top of him, still receiving hot wet kisses as I lowered myself onto him. I groaned at the heat but it was an amazing feeling.

He thrust up into me, managing to catch my prostate each time. The kisses got sloppier as the ecstasy grew. I could barely control myself but I managed to stroke him in time to come with me. "Carson, god I need you." He muttered out as I came on his stomach.

I tightened around him and forced him over the edge with me. I practically collapsed onto his chest and smiled when I felt him chuckle. I leaned up, pulling us apart but kissed him tenderly, letting him know just how I felt. He was much more than 'just a guy' to me. "You're beautiful, you know that?" I ducked my head as my cheeks turned pink, "Shurrup you!" I swatted him limply on his arm. He just looked at me, his eyes dark and meaningful, "I mean it…and thank you."

"Thank you for what?" I frowned slightly at him, taking my weight off him and putting it onto my forearms at either side of his torso. He gently stroked a hand across my face, "For being you. For being here." I kissed his chest gently, "I'll always be here for you, John. You should remember that from now on." He nodded quietly.

**Okay, so originally when I wrote this, it was in two sections but they were super short so I've kind of meshed the two together. **

**Aren't they cute? I mean, I'm sure this is the kind of relationship that people dream of :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**So this is quite a short chapter but there we go...You win some, you lose some. Happy Reading! :)**

He pulled on a slim fitting pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before we left for the mess hall. He actually wore his cardigan as well which surprised me as he'd always took it off before going anywhere before now. Not that I'd seen it more than twice before anyway and it was always in passing.

We walked in silence to the mess and took a table to one side, knowing Rodney would be joining us soon enough. "I want a banana with lots and lots of chocolate sauce." He said, probably not meant to be out loud and I chuckled. He blushed but I shook my head with a chuckle, "Coming right up." I wandered off to get the food, noticing Major Lorne come through the door.

The major didn't normally sit with John but I guessed that Rodney had probably been moaning about their 'discussion' from before they left. The chef conjured up John's order and I went back to the table where they were talking about football.

John dug in to the pudding and Lorne just watched, hoping John would talk when he wanted to. That wasn't about to happen because Rodney strode in just moments later. As I was sat opposite John with Lorne next to me, Rodney took the seat next to John.

"Well sir, I'll get going, I've got a mission report to write up." He gave a lazy salute and walked away. I was almost glad; John didn't want him to know just yet.

"Will somebody please tell me what's going on now?" He asked, looking just a little vulnerable. John turned in his chair to face Rodney and twiddled his fingers, thinking of the best way to tell Rodney. "A few days ago I ended up in the infirmary. I had pain in my stomach, I put it down to food poisoning but it wasn't..."

Rodney started muttering under his breath something about dying but John snapped him out of it. "I'm not sick Rodney, just let me finish okay?" The scientist nodded feebly.

"We don't know how it's even possible exactly but... I'm pregnant, Rodney." McKay frowned and shook his head trying to convince himself he hadn't just heard that but he looked over to me. I just had a plain expression, it was then that he knew that this wasn't a sick joke we were playing on him.

"Oh my god." He said, shocked. "Look Rodney, I know this isn't good news for you. I mean, you're always letting me know that I'm a whore and I know how much you hate kids but..." Rodney cut him off immediately.

"I don't think that, I just said it to cover your back, I know you're...you. And I don't hate kids. Well, some I do but some are just annoying. I barely know my sister's kids so I don't have any common ground with them, that's why I don't like them. John, this...is nothing short of a miracle."

Neither of us was expecting that. I could see the tears rolling down John's face, he wouldn't normally cry but it seemed his hormones were already being affected.

"So you don't know _how _you got pregnant, but could you inform me of _how _you got pregnant?" The question shouldn't have made sense but we both knew what he meant. "Who's the baby daddy, Shep?" He asked more bluntly but he didn't need an answer, the blush on my face was more than enough.

"Holy crap." He exclaimed before laughing out loud. "Sorry, but I never would have even thought." John rolled his eyes, "So are you actually going to go through with this, the both of you?" He asked more seriously, I think he was being protective over John more than satisfying his own curiosity.

"Don't worry Rodney, I'm not forcing him into carrying the child, nor am I about to run off at the first sign o' trouble." I said happily and he nodded after looking at me intently. "So, Uncle Rodney, does he meet up to your standards?" Sheppard teased but he meant well.

"You know what, congratulations John, Carson; I think you'll be great... Dad's." He said with a grin, stealing the last bit of John's banana and receiving a swat on the arm. "Ow!"

**Aww! At least they have Rodney's approval, I mean, that's the only thing that matters right? When Rodney is happy, everyone is happy :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**This may genuinely be the shortest chapter I've ever written...**

Once we were finished with John's 'lunch' in the mess hall, we headed back to his quarters where he sunk back out into the lounger on the balcony. It was getting cooler so I took the throw from the bed and joined him, scooting until he was practically curled up on my lap, his head resting on my shoulder.

"I'm glad Rodney took it as well as he did. Honestly I was quite worried." I admitted to him and he hummed in agreement, Rodney meant an awful lot to the both of us. I kissed his forehead and he sighed quietly, relaxing further into the embrace.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a whisper and he lifted his head to look at me. His eyes were soft and looked a little sad, making me frown a little. "What's wrong?" I enquired and he looked down at his hands. I heard a shuddered breath come out and I tilted his chin up to look at me once again. "John, you can tell me anything, you know that right?" He nodded feebly.

"There's something I haven't told you though - something I can't seem to say. I want to but..." I held John tighter to me, "I uh...when you came back...after we found out I was...you said...you told me that..."

"I told you that no matter what, I will never run. I told you that I'd fallen in love with you." I had to interrupt otherwise John would have stopped talking and tried to drop the conversation. It seems that I had got to know John pretty well recently and I knew what he was talking about.

He's been hurt in the past, he's probably even a little damaged but his inability to show people that he loves them doesn't mean a thing to me because I can see it in his eyes instead. "Yeah." Was all he said.

"What's this all about John?" I nudged which didn't seem to help as he got up and walked over to railings, looking out over the ocean. I slipped out from under the blanket and stood beside him, taking his hand in mine. "Whatever it is John, when you're ready, you can tell me." He squeezed my hand gently and that was enough for me.

**Have faith, this is more like the first part of a chapter, because the next one kind of continues on this little part... **

**If you want to complain about my awful chapters, go for it, but constructive criticism would be much preferred :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**And here is the second part, which kind of concludes the last chapter.**

**I'll shut up and just let you read...Happy reading! :)**

When I woke up in the morning I was alone and the bed was cold, telling me that John had been gone for a while. I got up and jumped into a quick shower, getting dressed before coming out again. By the time I was done he was stood in the kitchen area holding a glass of water and gazing out the window.

I went quietly and stood by his side. "Morning," I said quietly but he didn't turn to look at me. I was patient as I turned to brew some tea. Once I had the steaming mug in one hand, I used my other to tug at his pulling him out to the balcony where the sun was shining brightly.

"How are you feeling?" He bowed his head and leant heavily on the railing. I rubbed his back and it shuddered, he was crying again. I pulled his upper body into my chest, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "Hey, you're okay John, I promise."

Eventually he calmed down and he curled up on top of me in the lounger like before. "I'm sorry I disappeared this morning." I shook my head, "John, you're a grown man, far scarier than I am and definitely capable of holding your own even if you are with child." He looked at me with a confused expression, "You mean you're not mad?" I chuckled almost incredulously and put down my mug on the floor. I turned further so I could look straight at him, "Why would I be mad?"

He buried his head in my shoulder but I wouldn't let it go, this was something important. "John, what made you think that I'd be mad?" He looked almost...ashamed, "John, talk to me."

He got off the chair and off my lap and went inside and sat on the bed, his knees up to his chest. I sat in front of him, my legs crossed. "It's why I avoid getting close to people. When I was in college, I was with a guy called Liam, don't get me wrong he was a good guy for a very long time but after a while he seemed to always want to know where I was, who I was with what I was doing. It was exhausting." I took grasp of one of his hands, "That wasn't fair to you."

"No, and I caught on. I felt like a bird in a cage, I could see everything going on around me but I was never out there doing it." I idly rubbed circles on the back of his hand. "We broke up, it wasn't much fun either, but after that I thought that was what a relationship always came down to. I'm so sorry Carson." He sobbed and I let him, he needed to get over this without me interfering too much.

"You have nothing to apologize for. John, I'm protective, I know that...but I like to believe that Atlantis is safe and even if there's trouble, you'll always be protected. Besides, I already know where you went, or at least I could narrow it down." John let out a breath of relief, and relaxed his legs, spreading out a little more. "I was in the gym with Ronan." He said quietly, I was a little put off but I knew he wouldn't have done anything to put himself in harm's way.

"See, you were perfectly safe, well...kind of." Both of us let out a bit of a chuckle, I was glad he understood me. "I told him. I just needed somewhere or someone to be...pissed at. It was weird, he dropped his sticks - it wasn't like we were sparring anyway, but it was just...you know when Teyla touches foreheads?" He looked at me and nodded, "Well that's what he did. I've never seen him look so...caring, but then I remember that he had a wife once."

"Aye, it's a shame; I imagine he would have been a good husband to her." I watched as John lay down on his side, I stayed sat up but moved to my side of the bed facing sideways at him. I edged so my knees were right by his side and reached out and took his hand. Without fully realizing it, he'd pulled my hand to lay flat over his stomach, his hand over mine. When I smiled brightly he blushed, then realizing what he'd done. "You're amazing, you know that?"

He shied away, like I knew he would but I would never give up telling him just how brilliant and beautiful he is. I leaned down and kissed his lips, gently running a hand through his hair. He pulled me down until I was laid on my side facing him and kissed me again. As cliché as it may be, it was a perfect moment.

His lips were warm and soft and...Safe. I held his hand between us and smiled, finally getting a smile in return. "You're a better man than I am." He said in response to my compliment, "We've all made mistakes John, it's what we take from them that counts." He smiled and leant in for a kiss again, chaste this time.

**Doesn't your heart just melt?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we go, not a huge amount happens here but it's one of those necessary chapters... **

**Happy Reading! :)**

After a long few hours of relaxing and 'making out' on the bed, we decided to get some lunch after a not so subtle rumble from John's stomach. Once again, he wore his thick knitted cardigan, and it got quite a few looks but John seemed to just ignore them.

After a quite bland chicken soup, John looked up at me, "People think I'm sick." He stated and I chuckled, I could quite easily see why they'd come to that reasoning. John had almost handed over his team to Lorne and was dressing in civilian clothing whenever he could, as well as spending a whole lot of time with me, a doctor. "Aye, Rodney thought that too until you told him."

The conversation went into silence after that but it wasn't at all awkward, I think we both needed time to be with our own thoughts. The silence, however, was broken when a marine came over. A small blonde woman with a kind face,

"Sir, I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you okay?" John smiled almost amusedly, "I'm fine Corporal, don't let on but I thought I'd give Major Lorne a run for his money." He winked at her and I had to cover my mouth inconspicuously to stop from laughing.

The corporal nodded and went back to her table, almost instantly gossiping the news to the table. John and I shared a smile as we left the mess hall. We wandered down the corridors and as we did, we had some light conversation until John furrowed his brow.

"I think I need to have a conversation. I think it's about time I actually give Lorne the reigns, I can't keep him guessing."

"Is that reigns going to cover the pregnancy or are you thinking more permanent? You don't sound so sure." John sighed and his shoulders slumped, "I don't know. I mean, I love going off-world but I also know the dangers that come with doing that." We walked on to my office in the infirmary, fed up of quarters.

"In a perfect world I'd make Lorne a partner of sorts, so we could share the job instead of me being in charge all the time. My parents were never around for me as a kid, I was practically raised by my nanny and I don't want that for our kid. I want to be around but I don't want to give up my career, I love my job, I know it's dangerous but..."

I shrug, "I know this is probably wrong of me, makes me a bad future father but I think you should be just a little bit selfish. The fact is, if you're off-world I'll be here and vice-versa, so he or she won't be raised by wolves. However, you do need to consider the dangers, maybe chose missions more carefully so you don't end up in the infirmary every other week."

John sighed but he understood what I was saying, he'd have to slow down but he didn't have to stop altogether.

"How are you real?" He asked almost incredulously and I snorted with laughter, unable to help myself even when Colonel Carter came in. "Hi guys, I miss something?"

"Nah, nothing ma'am, in fact I was planning on coming and talking to you..." She raised an eyebrow and sat down next to him, "Yeah, I was hoping to hand over some of my duties to Lorne..." She nodded, which meant that she approved so far, "Which means I need to let him know what's actually going on, I think a lot of people think I'm dying or something right now."

She smiled, knowingly. "BUT, I'm not completely giving up, I'll still do my nightly patrol and some occasional paperwork and stuff like that, maybe even a few visits to the allies but for the sake of Carson and our child...No more suicide missions."

"You know what; I think that's probably the most mature speech you've ever made. Of course, I completely agree with you and I would have ordered the same thing if you hadn't have come to that conclusion already."

I had a stupid grin on my face which made her roll her eyes a little, "So when's the big speech Colonel, I know Major Lorne and his team are on base, you may want to do it soon."

"Yeah, mind if I borrow the conference room this afternoon, well more like this evening, I don't want to do this in working hours." She nodded, "It's free from sixteen hundred until tomorrow afternoon." She got up and left the office politely.

John looked over at me and actually looked relaxed for one, obviously glad that this was no longer going to be a struggling secret. "Tell you what, I'll let you get on with your work, I'll pester Rodney and whoever else I need to be at that meeting. I don't want to drag it out any longer than necessary."

He stood up and I crossed the room to meet him, snagging a quick kiss from him, "Love you," I cooed, "Now get out o' here, I'm a busy man." I gently shoved him out of the room.

**So, there we go...John's coming clean about his suspicious behaviour! What will people make of it?**


	8. Chapter 8

John's POV 

_I was a little…mixed. I was relieved, finally I could stop lying…but it didn't mean I wasn't nervous as hell._

_I did go to Rodney's lab, but I decided just to call Lorne up on his earwig, I needed to try and settle my nerves before I met him face-to-face._

_I'd settled back on the large leather chair at the end of the table, there was another twenty minutes or so until anybody was mean to arrive. However, when I heard the soft click of the door it was almost expected. I kept my eyes closed and smiled when I felt his lips gently touch to mine. _

"I thought you might have been in here, why didn't you call me or something?" The lovely doctor asked but all I could do was shrug, "I thought a little peace would settle me but it turns out it does nothing but make me go crazy." He chuckled and sat down on the next chair, "Aye, you never have been able to sit still." I blushed.

"I actually think I'm scared Carson." I quietly admitted and he took my hand that was clenched on the table and squeezed it gently in his, "If I know Major Lorne, he'll be fine, and he'll support us."

"Support what doc?" Evan sauntered in, giving me a polite smile and nod before sitting down next to Carson. "Patience Major," I smiled back.

After that everyone came in, Carter and Rodney on the opposite side with Ronan and Teyla, and the rest of Lorne's team, including Radek, filling in next to Lorne. Obviously, Carson had dropped my hand and soon as Lorne came in but I still knew he was there, watching over me.

"Well now that you're all here, I'll start," I took a deep breath. "I'm reducing my duties," There was more than a few frowns at that, "Lorne, I want you to integrate our two teams together, make some sort of rotor or whatever you think is best."

I was shaking at this point and Carson saw it. "John…" He nudged me with a frown of worry on his face. "I need some air." I shot out of the room and out onto the balcony off the gate room.

I leant on the railing and tried sucking in some deep breaths. My chest was tight as I fought back unnecessary tears. I flinched when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun round to see Lorne, looking worried, an expression he rarely wore.

"Sir, what's going on? At least tell me it's not bad because I swear I have your back if it is." He was practically begging me to tell him. "I don't want your job, Colonel, not if it means losing you." I shook my head with a little amusement, relieved that he felt like that. I didn't think anybody was that loyal to me?

"Major…It's not bad, as such. I guess. I mean, you'll only be me temporarily." He was confused now, "Look, I know this is going to sound like some sort of sick joke and at first, I thought it was…please just trust me." He nodded, "I trust you with my life, sir."

"Major, I need you to take over because in a matter of months there'll be a mini-me in the world. Evan…I'm pregnant." The man's eyebrows raised, it was inevitable that he'd be shocked; it isn't everyday a man gets pregnant.

"Okay, that's literally the last thing I expected to hear – how?" I gnawed on my bottom lip, "We haven't quite figured it out yet," Carson's voice spoke out, he was just in the door way. Lorne turned to face him. "It could be something the ancient's have done or maybe even Michael."

Evan's eyes shot open at the mention of Michael but Carson put his hands up, "It's not a creepy hybrid he's breeding, it's a perfectly normal human being." He let out a breath of relief which made me chuckle silently.

"Okay then." His expression then changed from cautious to…happy. "Sir, I'd like to offer you my congratulations – I think it's about time we had something to look forward to." I looked so warm, it made me just want to hug him…but that'd be weird, so I just shook his hand.

We went back to leaning on the railing, Carson leaning on the wall of the tower, watching from a distance. "Sir, is this where I have to _ask_?" He said quietly and I sighed and looked at him sadly, "I think so."

There were a few minutes of just gazing out to the ocean before he spoke up. "Can we do this off the record? I don't think I want to have this conversation with my boss." I nodded gently, fidgeting slightly. "I don't know _how_ to ask, John." He scratched at the back of his neck.

"Carson." His brow furrowed as he looked over to the man, "Huh?"Wuh?"brow furrowed as he looked over to the man, " He asked almost dumbly, trying to avoid coming to the wrong conclusion. "Carson is the father." I said bluntly once again. If I dragged it out, the chances of me crying would increase tenfold and my XO doesn't want to see that.

"Doc?" He looked around for confirmation, Carson just gave him a silent nod, and nothing else needed saying. Or I didn't think it did, Evan thought otherwise. "You know what sir, I'm happy for you – as long as you're happy of course – and I can't wait." He was genuinely excited, I could see it all over his face.

"I told you he'd have your back, John." Carson smirked at me and I rolled my eyes. Evan frowned at that comment, "You doubted me?" He looked a little offended so I quickly shook my head. "No, I never doubted you but then again it's not every day you tell a colleague and friend that you got knocked up by a guy." Carson snorted out loud and I sent a glare his way but he knew it wasn't serious.

"Well, it's not every day you end up in a different galaxy with those friendly wraith guys." I had smile at that, of course, we were already in a ridiculous scenario.

Carson's POV

I couldn't have been more grateful for having a man like Major Lorne on Atlantis, he symbolised everything good here and I was so glad he took John's news…our news well. _It's been a long time since I've been a 'we'._

Major Lorne went back inside after relieving John of his duty to inform everyone else, even though Carter was probably already telling them anyway. I went over to John who was still looking out over the ocean and rubbed his back gently.

He turned and smiled at me, "Thank you." He whispered happily. "What for?"

"Looking out for me but not jumping in. I think if you were anyone else you would have tried to be an overbearing worried person but I'm really glad you weren't."

I smiled at him, "There was never going to be an issue with Major Lorne, I know he's a good man and he'll always protect you." He nodded at me. "Yeah, but I want to thank you anyway." I squeezed his shoulders gently.

**Good old Lorne! Of course, he always has to be the good guy :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, so kill me now, this is another one of those chapters that's really short but has a long follow-up chapter. I apologise, but it works out better this way, I assure you**.

**Happy Reading! :)**

4 Months Pregnant (17weeks)… (John's POV)

"Colonel," Major Lorne strolled into the mess hall, having arrived back from his mission. Carson was currently off-world and wouldn't be back until tomorrow; Lorne tries to keep me company whenever I can, I think he understands how restless I can get.

"Major, how was the mission?" He sat with a steaming cup of coffee and he was smiling so I assumed it had all gone smoothly. "Pretty much uninhabited planet apart from the wildlife, may put it forward as the next alpha site." I nodded, sucking on a cherry lollipop I had stashed from the infirmary the day before.

"Carson still lets you have his lollipops? I thought he locked them up?" I smirked, "Janet, the nurse, is really nice." I smiled childishly and he shook his head. "I'm sure. She doesn't have the keys though, which means you stole Carson's and you stole the lollipop yourself. I see right through you, Colonel." I sighed dejectedly.

"On a different topic of conversation, General O'Neill is due in fifteen minutes." I nodded, remembering the earlier conversation I'd had with Carter. "Yeah, still not sure why he's coming though."

Lorne shrugged, "He already knows about you so maybe something about that, or maybe he's bored and is finally going to retire somewhere he can fish for real." We both chuckled at that, his pond was legend amongst SG-C personnel, and I'd been there a few times myself.

Just at that moment we both heard our earwigs alert us, calling us to the control room. Lorne got up still carrying his coffee mug and walked with me.

I've noticed he seems to be quite protective of me, keeping me away from crowds, making sure I've ate…little things. I guess he really is a good guy. It's a pity he's not got kids – he'd be an awesome Dad.

I stopped to one side of the corridor, it felt like stitch but it was too low, more like cramp. I leant on the wall and immediately felt Lorne by my side trying not to panic. "It's fine Evan, extra parts are a bitch to squeeze in. I'll be fine in a second." I said through a few deep breaths.

"Okay…" He said, not quite believing me. I could feel the pain getting worse, from a little cramp to feeling like I'd been stabbed. I was bent over in agony, clutching onto the wall, Lorne trying to lower me down carefully whilst tapping his earwig. "I need a medical team just outside the control room. Sheppard's down."

**CLIFFHANGER! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Don't worry, the answer to the cliff hanger is here!**

**Happy Reading! :)**

"Colonel, glad you're coming back to us – how are you feeling?" Keller was stood at the bed with a polite look on her face. I groaned quietly, I'd obviously passed out again. "Now…I'm fine. I _was _in agony." She chuckled slightly, "It's a good job Major Lorne was with you, I don't think you'd have made it here before you passed out like last time."

"_Last time?_" Evan stepped into the curtained area, panicking almost. "How do you think I found out I was pregnant? It's not that bad though, Lorne, is it doc?" Keller smiled at him, "All things aside, in this situation I believe this is pretty natural. The baby's fine, so is Sheppard." He nodded hesitantly. "I'll leave you to it."

After she walked away, Evan just stood there feebly. "Is something wrong?" I asked surprisingly softly. "No. You just scared me a little – Carson's still off world and if something had happened to you…" I sighed sadly, "It's okay Evan, I'm okay. Carson was there the first time too so there's no blame on you at all." He nodded slowly.

I flinched in the bed and his head instantly shot up. I chuckled out loud and he frowned at me, almost annoyed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have laughed; I'm not in pain. C'mere." I waved him over but he was slow so I grabbed his arm and pulled him over, he looked at me sideways.

I pushed down the covers and lifted up the hem off my t-shirt. He actually blushed when I did it but I grabbed his hand this time. "Little one wants to say hello to Uncle Lorne," I grinned putting his hand flat on the side of my bump and waited. A moment later there was the smallest of movements which made Lorne truly speechless.

He took his hand away and took a step back, "Was that?" He stuttered and my smile never faltered. "That was a kick – or punch – yes." He let out a deep breath and a smile spread across his face.

"I've uh… I never… I've never felt that…before." He gulped; I frowned. "I thought you said that your sister had kids?" He nodded, "We were never on good terms, and I got kicked out when I was a kid. I see them at Christmas and I get photos every so often." My eyebrows shot up, "What!"

"Yeah…Long story. I kind of wish I'd got to feel that though, it's kind of amazing." My smile grew again. "Well, Uncle Lorne, I'll make sure you get visited more often." Lorne looked stunned.

"Are you serious?" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes a little, shifting in the bed a little, "Lorne, would I be so cruel?" He blushed and looked downwards, "I know I'm not your sister but I want my child around people like you." He looked up, still blushing but for a different reason. His eyes were moist; I'd never seen him so vulnerable before.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, sir." He cleared his throat just as General O'Neill slipped through the curtain. Lorne gave me a quick nod before stepping out.

"Why's there always a scene with you?" He mocked and I blushed a little as I shook his hand, "Anyway, I'm glad to see you're okay John – a few people were worried." He hinted at Major Lorne, "It's good to see you too, sir, and believe me when I say I wish I led a less dramatic life but I doubt it'd be as much fun." We both shared a chuckle.

"Congrats on the pregnancy by the way – it was a lot of fun to have that meeting." I snorted slight, settling down into the bed, I was still a little tired from passing out earlier. "Hmm, I can imagine." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, something good did come of it," He smiled, pulling a cream envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket. "It's a little note from the president himself. He'd come and tell you himself but he thinks sending him to another galaxy is a little excessive." There's a point where you have to stop laughing at him or you'll be there all day. I took the envelope out of his hands.

After carefully breaking the red seal I took out the letter inside.

_Dear Colonel Sheppard,_

_When I first heard about your pregnancy, I was shocked to say the least and these days that's not an often occurrence. I can't imagine what you're going through but from what I understand, you're fully embracing it and for that I give you a round of applause._

_Though I probably wouldn't say it in public, I think you'll be an excellent father along with your partner whose name I won't disclose for obvious reasons, but I know your partner, we go way back, and your partner will always stand by you and your child._

_I can tell you that there will be no investigation into anything, nor will there be any real record of it, especially because I know the NID and IOA will do anything for that sort of information._

_I owe you my life, Colonel, and I hope that if you ever need anything, you will come to me. I will do everything in my power to help you; your country will serve you. You're a miracle and I intend for you and your child to stay that way._

_Congratulations John, and though it won't happen any time soon, I will visit…_

_All My Best, Colonel,_

_James Walsh_

_**Also a bit of a cliff hanger, again, don't worry, it's on the next chapter! :)**_


	11. Chapter 11

**And now we get to see the reaction to the letter from the president!**

**Oh, and it's another short chapter, sorry :(**

**Happy Reading! :)**

I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding…This was approval from the president himself…Nothing can go wrong now.

"Thanks. Thank you for bringing this." I placed it on my lap and gave Jack a small smile. "It was honour, Colonel. You've done a great many things for many great people; I think it's about time we do something for you." I nodded, not having the capability to talk due to my heart being lodged in my throat.

"Okay, enough about that – what do you want to talk about? Keller put me on babysitting duty so take advantage." I looked at him carefully, gnawing on my bottom lip. I knew what I wanted to say but I didn't know if the right time was now.

"Just spit it out, Shep, I'm not waiting forever." I nodded, "I didn't really have a Dad when I was a kid…" I started and he sat there quietly waiting for me to carry on. I'd never known him to be patient before.

"When I joined up you had my back…I know I wasn't the easiest of kids to deal with either. You had my back when I was sent to Afghan too, and special ops. You've always looked after me. My own father didn't remember my birthday yet you actually gave me the best present ever. You're the father I wish that I had."

If I didn't know any better I'd say the good general was emotional but I'd never let anyone else in on that secret.

"My point is, I'm not going to be my father, I'll be there for me child every step of the way… but every kid needs a granddad." O'Neill tilted his head to the side, "You know if Charlie was still around he'd probably be having kids right about now."

He couldn't meet my eye but I knew he was still in pain over Charlie. "If you're sure about it then I'd absolutely love to be that person. I'd actually have to thank you…" I frowned and did something I didn't really expect…

I reached out and took his hand. "You don't need to thank me, Jack, but I swear if you teach my child anything inappropriate I will kick your ass straight to the queen of a wraith hive." Jack chuckled and swatted my hand away before ruffling my hair. "Get some sleep John, you look tired. Carson will be back soon anyway."

"I thought he wasn't back until the afternoon?" Jack sighed, "Don't think the mission was as positive as they'd hoped." I mirrored his earlier sigh. "I'll see you later Jack."

**Aww, Jack finally getting to be a Grandaddy! **


	12. Chapter 12

Carson POV

He was in the infirmary again. This is why I _hate _leaving for more than a day at a time. Things seem to always _happen. _I'm just glad he's okay.

I unbuckled my tac vest and slung it over the chair along with my jacket and boots and carefully slid onto the bed trying not to wake John. He was always so warm so it made me smile when he rolled over and tucked himself into my side. "Missed you." He mumbled under his breath; _of course he was awake._

"I missed you too." I gently placed a kiss on the top of his head, securing my arms around his middle. "Are you okay?" He murmured and I let out a sigh, to which he squeezed my hand gently. "I am now. The village was burnt, not sure who by though. A couple of survivors said it was an enemy village, with different religious beliefs and all of that drama. There's not much we can do."

I could feel his warm breath play across my shoulder and I relaxed completely into him. "How are you feeling?" He shrugged into my shoulder, "I'm okay now, a little sleepy. I only passed out because I knew what was happening; the pain wasn't any worse than before." I placed another kiss on his head before shutting my eyes too.

* * *

Early next morning, John was released from the infirmary; fortunately, we were both off duty and therefore were able to actually sleep in for a reasonable amount of time. When John woke up he was warm and in the mood for cuddling and who was I to turn him down.

I tucked up into his shoulder and gently lay a hand over his stomach, feeling the slight bump on his stomach. I noticed him smile so I threw him a questioning look. "The baby kicked yesterday." I gasped with excitement, "really?"

"Yeah, it was after I woke up. I was just talking to Lorne and I flinched a little before I realized what it was." I placed a kiss just above his belly button. "Evan nearly had a heart attack and I made him feel it. Then he nearly cried." There was a teasing tone in his voice but I knew he meant well.

He rolled over so we faced each other and held our hands between us. I could feel his breath on my hands which made me smile. "I don't want to get up." He said softly, "You're in luck; we don't have to if you don't want. Although at some point I would love a shower." John chuckled a little and kissed me gently.

I kissed him back, just taking in the calm and the peace that we'd seemed to have found. His lips were smooth against mine until I felt him scrape his teeth along my bottom lip and let out a breathy moan. "Want that shower now?"

I smirked back at him, "Well it all depends, are you going to join me?" I loved that despite John's reputation I could still make him blush. He bit his lip with a grin which I took as a definite yes. I pulled on his hand and dragged him to the bathroom.

Unfortunately, as soon as we got in there, the door beeped signaling someone was there. John groaned before stepping out and dragging on some sweat pants, neglecting to put a shirt on.

He swiped over the panel, opening the door to Major Lorne who stumbled a little at his boss' appearance. "I'll come back later if you're busy sir…" He said but John shook his head, "What's going on, Major?"

"General O'Neill asked whether it would be okay if he basically stood in your position for the time being. I mean, I don't have a problem with it but I'd much prefer to hear what you want." John shrugged,

"Well as long as he knows it won't be permanent I don't have a problem either. Why does he want the position anyway?" He asked with a frown.

"I'm not wholly sure, I tried asking him but he's always vague. I know I don't know him as well as you do but I think there's something more to whatever he's saying." John sighed, "I hope it's not bad. Don't worry about it for now; I'll talk to him later. Thanks for coming by though…Even if you did prevent me from shower sex."

Evan snorted with laughter, "From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry." John rolled his eyes and watched as the Major left before hopping straight into the bathroom again.

Carson was facing away and didn't hear John come in so when he felt warm arms wrap around him he jumped a little before sinking back into the embrace.

"What's going on?" John planted kisses on my neck before answering. "O'Neill is filling in for me. It's a long story that I will tell you as soon as we've done in the shower. Now…"

Once we got out the shower, I noticed how tired John was again so I tucked him back into bed whilst I got my laptop from the desk and sat with my back against the foot of the bed, facing him. "Are you religious?" He asked out of the blue.

"In what sense?" I replied with an eyebrow raised. "Doesn't matter." He sighed rolling onto his back. I could sense this was something important to him. "I was raised a catholic but I think Atlantis gives you some perspective. However, me and religion have never got along. I think I prefer religion when it's faith rather than belief." John turned his head to look at me, slightly less tense.

"What are you thinking?" I asked gently. "I was brought up catholic too; my parents were really strict though…I never liked being forced to go to church or anything like it. I guess I feel the same as you, faith is better." I kissed his temple gently, tucking myself into his side, my head resting on his shoulder.

"Can I ask your reasons for thinking about it?" With the hand that was wrapped around my shoulders, he gently brushed down my arm almost subconsciously. "Godparents. After I left home, my godparents were there for me and I guess I want our child to have people like that…" I smiled and placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"I think that's a good idea, even though you know they're going to have the whole of Atlantis looking out for them." John chuckled slightly, "I think you might be right."

**And there we go...Lorne is a cockblock, it's official! Hahahaha :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, it's another sucky chapter, sorry!**

**But, Happy Reading! :)**

"So Keller wants you in for a scan; it's just to see that everything is all okay still." John sat on the chair in front of his desk, doing some overdue paperwork before we went for breakfast. "I'll pop down this afternoon." John smiled back.

"I want Evan to be a godfather. I kind of want Rodney too. I don't know how this is ever going to work out." I chuckled and wandered over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, "How about we ask them both. I want to ask Jen as well, I think she'd be an amazing mother figure and let's face it, if we have a baby girl there are some conversations I just don't want to have."

"Agreed." John chuckled and spun around in his chair and pulled me so I was sat comfortably on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him happily, not even caring when Evan cleared his throat in the doorway.

John groaned and rolled his eyes, not letting me off him. "What?" He said impatiently, "We have a situation; I hoped you'd help me out." John frowned, letting me off him now. "I'll see you later," He rolled his eyes and kissed me chastely, "Keller's at fifteen hundred." Another kiss and he left.

**THAT, may actually be the shortest chapter EVER.**

**Whine at me, you have permission!**


	14. Chapter 14

****WARNING** This chapter has a theme of domestic violence - I don't go into that much depth, it's more of a 'use your imagination' bit but if you're super sensitive to that kind of thing I suggest skipping it or something...**

**But, trust me, it's a good bit of drama. Happy Reading! :)**

JOHN'S POV 

I followed Lorne down the corridor after he interrupted my moment with Carson, I was already in a bad mood and he hadn't even told me what was going on yet.

"Captain Harrison came into the infirmary last night. He was covered in cut and bruises like he'd been in a damn serious fist fight but he refused to tell us what happened. However, this morning, Captain Briggs turned up to patrol with bloody knuckles looking awfully arrogant. Major Adams sent him to the infirmary to get checked out and as soon as he did, Harrison was scared out of his mind."

"Briggs beat the crap out of Harrison? Do we know why he'd do that?" Evan sighed, "Daniel Harrison is British Air Force and therefore Don't Ask Don't Tell is completely irrelevant to him; we only just got it repealed. I know I probably should have said something earlier but I knew of their relationship, I really wish I'd paid more attention."

"You weren't to know Major…Briggs is in for a hell of a ride though, I'm not going to let him get away with this." Evan nodded feebly and led me into the infirmary. I had to get my anger under to control before I spoke to Harrison, he needed compassion now.

Keller had put him in a private room, away from the rest of the infirmary. The room was only lit by the window that was partially letting light through. "Harrison?" I asked quietly when we stepped through the door. Evan instinctively stood in front of the door as if standing guard.

Harrison was sat on the bed, knees curled up into his chest looking vulnerable. I went over and sat in the chair next to him. I sighed tiredly, "Harrison, you need to tell me what happened. I don't want to jump to conclusions."

"Nothing sir, I'm fine." He was closed off and I didn't blame him. "Look, Harrison, I'm not here to judge or condemn you but if somebody has done this to you, I don't want them here. We look after our own…Always."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." I dropped my head into my hands but shot up when I heard Lorne speak. "We know that Briggs did this. I know about your relationship. I let you down, Captain, but I'm here now and I want you to let us help you, please." Lorne almost begged and Harrison sobbed into his hands.

I sat on the side of the bed and gently reached forward my hand, making sure he could see my every move. Eventually I was able to pull him into a hug of sorts. "It's okay Captain, we're going to fix everything for you."

"I didn't mean to make him so mad…" He cried into my shoulder but I gently shushed him, "You haven't done anything wrong, nobody should ever resort to that, especially if they're meant to care."

"Why do you care? You're the big alpha male; it's not like you have any problems…" I had to hold back a snort of laughter but Lorne didn't have the same restraint and let out a giggle. I let go of Harrison and just smiled at him.

"I know that's the kind of person people think I am but it couldn't be further from the truth. I'm not an alpha; before I came to Atlantis I was just some rogue with a bad attitude. Plus, I think I've got my own fair share of drama. For instance, I found out I'm pregnant, not even joking, and here's the best bit – to a guy. So I care about you plenty…" He looked almost shocked but I think he was more relieved to find out he wasn't so alone.

"I don't know what happened. I came off patrol last night; we'd been kept on a little longer so we could go some of the new routines and stuff. When I walked into his quarters he just started yelling at me. He kept accusing me of cheating on him and I told him where I was but he didn't believe me. He called me…he, he…" The captain let out his sobs once more and my heart broke for him.

"Captain, has this happened before or was it just this incident." He shrugged, "He gets angry but he's never actually hurt me before." I nodded, disappointed in Briggs. "Personally, I would love to feed this guy to the wraith but some people may think that's a little too much. Harrison, I'm going to advise that he be prosecuted and court marshaled."

"You can't be serious?" The question came as a surprise to me but then I realized that the captain was the same as everyone else that suffers through domestic violence, he thinks he's the one to blame. "It's not just for you Harrison; it's for the safety of everyone on Atlantis."

"He'd never hurt anyone." Harrison spat out but I just gazed at him knowingly. "He already has and one person is more than enough for me." Daniel cried more softly into his hands this time, he needed some space.

I stood up and followed Lorne out of the room. Carson was stood by the door of Keller's office with a soft expression. I walked up to him, my shoulders drooping. "I thought mankind had advanced enough to put an end to this shit; evidently not."

"I'm sorry I had to drag you down here sir, but I think this is a little above my rank." I shrugged to him, "It's fine Major, I'm glad you did." Carson kissed my temple gently and smiled, "You're doing a good thing John, plus you're going to get to see the wee one in a little while."

It only took a second for my grin to grow. "Hell yeah." I smirked before following Evan to where Briggs was being kept.

It was another private room but this one was a lot less pleasant. The walls were dull and grey and there was only a bed in there. "Captain Briggs." I announced myself but he didn't move.

"Excuse me, I am your superior officer and I expect you to acknowledge my presence accordingly." He laughed which really made me angry.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" I yelled at him, my drill instructor voice protruding, I think even Lorne flinched a little. "I WAS HAVING A GOOD DAY TODAY BUT I GET DRAGGED DOWN HERE ONLY TO HEAR THAT SOME COCKY SON OF A BITCH HAS BEATEN THE CRAP OUT OF ANOTHER ONE OF MY MEN. NOW STAND THE FUCK UP BEFORE I MAKE YOU!" The man reluctantly stood with his hands firmly planted behind his back.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT? EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS BASE IS MEANT TO BE THE BEST OF THE BEST AND YET YOU JUST PROVED THAT WE GOT IT WRONG! WHAT KIND OF PERSON BEATS UP ONE OF THEIR OWN, WHEN YOU'RE MEANT TO WATCH EACHOTHER'S BACKS? WHY WOULD YOU ATTACK CAPTAIN HARRISON?" The man stood perfectly still and didn't say a word.

"YOU GOT A TEMPER CAPTAIN? BECAUSE YOU'RE SURE AS HELL GOING TO EXPERIENCE MINE! IF YOU HAVE A ROUGH DAY YOU GO DOWN THE GYM, YOU RUN IT OUT, HELL YOU SPAR WITH RONAN… IF YOU THINK YOUR FUCKING BOYFRIEND IS FUCKING WELL CHEATING ON YOU, HOW ABOUT YOU CHECK IT OUT FIRST BEFORE BEATING THE FUCK OUT OF HIM!" The man clenched his jaw. "He was cheating on me." He tried justifying which just made it all worse to me.

"YOU THINK HE FUCKED SOME GUY LAST NIGHT BECAUSE HE CAME HOME LATE?" He nodded. "WELL YOU GOT IT WRONG CAPTAIN – HE WAS STILL ON DUTY! I MADE CHANGES TO THE PATROL, I MADE SURE THAT EVERYONE GOT BRIEFED AFTER THEIR PATROLS, I MADE IT SO THAT THE WHOLE TEAM ENDED UP WORKING LATE…WHAT NOW CAPTAIN?" The man looked down at the floor but I could tell he didn't believe me. I turned to Lorne, "Who was supervising his patrol?"

"I was on duty, sir, I did the briefing." Evan admitted and I gave a nod. "Major, was Captain Harrison at the briefing." Evan looked over to Briggs, "Yes sir."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Briggs yelled out and tried to shove past but I pushed him back against the wall, fisting his shirt. "YOU STUPID FUCK! YOU JUST LOST YOUR BOYFRIEND, LOST THE RESPECT OF THIS WHOLE BASE, THREW YOUR WHOLE CAREER DOWN THE DRAIN AND PROBABLY BLACK-MARKED YOURSELF FOR LIFE."

I leant in to whisper into his ear, "Harrison. Never cheated. On you. Congratulations Captain, I hope you're proud of yourself." I let go of his shirt and marched out of the room, Evan following me.

I went into Keller's office, seeing that nobody was in there, Evan followed me in shut the door and closed the blinds. "How could he be so fucking stupid?" I spat out but much quieter than before. I hunched over, my fists on the table. "Even if Harrison wasn't at the briefing and he was cheating – Briggs had no right to lay a hand on him."

"I know, sir. I'm going to go talk to Carter, I think you should try to calm down a little, it can't be good for the baby." I nodded tiredly. "I shouldn't have got that mad, I'm not exactly setting a good example."

"You protect your people, sir; I think that's what really matters. You have the ability to have killed him back there, I have no doubt of that, but that probably never crossed your mind. That's what makes us different from him." My shoulders dropped as my breathing steadied out.

Evan had left the office after that and a few moments later I could feel Carson's warm arms around my waist. "Hey," He said gently, "You probably heard all my shouting, didn't you?"

He chuckled ever so slightly, "I think the whole of the tower did, but you did the right thing. God forbid there's anyone else as messed up as him this comes as a warning that this kind of behavior will never be tolerated." I nodded and turned to his embrace, laying my head on his shoulder.

"I think we should hold off on the ultra sound until tomorrow – you're too stressed." I sighed, annoyed that I'd riled myself up so much. "I still need to talk to Carter…and O'Neill. I think I'll be in the mess hall after that though, when do you finish?"

"Not until late, I'm sure you'll find something to do though. You could always talk to Major Lorne about the christening though. I'm sure he'd like some good news after today as well." I smiled and kissed him, something I'd wanted to do all day.

**Oooh, now that's drama! And, SPOILER, this is going to come up again...so be prepared :)**

**COMMENT, WHINE, CRITICISE...Whichever, feel free :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**I guess you could say this is the aftermath of the drama...Happy Reading! :)**

"Don't worry Sheppard; I'll make sure he gets everything he deserves." Jack assured once I'd told them both of what had happened. Lorne was waiting outside the office when I came out. "It's done Major, he's getting sent back to Earth and will be charged." He let out a breath of relief which made me smile.

I patted his back and led him down to the mess hall knowing he needed to eat as much as I did. "Do you think Harrison will be okay?" I asked lightly whilst eating some stew the kitchen was serving for dinner.

"I think he'll pull through. He's got people here who care about him so he should be fine." I could see the blush on Evan's cheeks and I smirked, watching until he met my gaze, "What?" He asked innocently.

"It's nothing." I said with a grin. Cupid has nothing on me and I'm going to prove it. Evan totally likes Harrison…

"Anyway," I cleared my throat, "I wanted to talk to you about something." Evan raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was hoping that you'd be a godfather to this little one." He looked taken aback, "Are you serious?"

"I've never been more serious in my life. You're an amazing person and there are only three people I can actually trust with my life, and that of my child, and you're one of those people. What do you say, Evan?"

"Oh wow, uh, I'd be absolutely honored, sir. I…I…Thank you. This means a lot to me." He was stuttering all over the place so I just carried on eating whilst he got over the initial shock of it all.

"Can I ask who the two others are?" He asked after a few minute, having calmed down. "Well, Carson is on top of the list of course but Rodney's on there too – Tell him I told you that and I swear I'll make your life hell." I mock threatened and he threw his hands up in the air in surrender with a smile. "Wouldn't dream of it sir."

* * *

I was in my quarters when Carson came in after finishing his duty. "Ugh, I've got a mission in the morning." He stated before collapsing on the bed, which made me chuckle a little. "Yes you do." I affirmed with a smile as I went and crawled over his body, devouring his lips.

"Well that was a pleasant surprise." He smirked when I drew back for breath. "What did I do to deserve you?" He whispered, stroking the hair by my temple gently. I smiled down at him, "I keep thinking the same thing."

**I know, I've kind of parted the chapter... It's because it's two completely different segments and the next chapter leads on...MORE DRAMA GUYS!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here we go! Happy Reading! :)**

I'll admit it, I loved John's way of welcoming me home after work – it was just what I needed. I rolled us over until he was laid on his back and I was perched between his legs. "How was your day?" He smiled back to me, "I spoke to Evan – he was happy to say the least, I wish he'd just have kids already, he'd make an awesome father." I nodded, agreeing with him.

I leant over John's body and kissed his forehead and his nose before getting a gentle kiss from John. I moved on swiftly, kissing down his throat, past his collar bone and down his chest. Eventually I came across the now slightly prominent bump on his stomach. I kissed the top before settling down on my front to speak to my unborn child.

I could hear John giggle but that wasn't going to stop me. "Your Dad's an arse, I'm sure you'll realize it soon enough for yourself but I thought I'd give you some warning. He's amazing though, best man I've ever known and I love him more than anything in the world. He loves you too, he probably doesn't know it yet but he really does. I love you too, and I'll always be here for you, no matter what." I looked up to see the tear in the corner of John's eye.

He gently pulled me up to face level, I was careful to lean my weight on my arms. "You're perfect; I can't even believe you're real." I chuckled gently, "I try my best." I smirked which earned me a swat on the arm as John pushed me off the bed.

I laughed as I collapsed and the floor and we didn't even notice Carter walk in. Her eyebrow was raised but she just looked amused. I quickly composed myself, swatting away John's hands where he kept trying to poke me. "I see you're still as mature as ever Sheppard." She rolled her eyes.

"Aye, mature enough to chuck me off the bloody bed." I whined but it didn't have much depth. "Is there something wrong Colonel?" I asked, wanting to know what we'd done to earn her presence.

"I just wanted to let you know that Briggs is just about to be escorted back to Earth and put into custody." John nodded grimly, his mood quickly changed.

"There's also some chocolate cake being served in the mess hall and I told the chef to hold some back – I have no doubt you'll want some?" John shot her an obvious look.

She skipped out of the room and I turned and smiled at John, despite his childishness only moments ago. "You want some, love?" I asked happily and he smirked, "Of course I do…" I pulled him up to his feet and kissed the tip of his nose gently. To my surprised he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and buried his face in my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked, only a little worriedly. His head came up and I could see the slight smile playing on his lips. "I'm perfect." His smile grew but his eyes had a look of seriousness to them.

"I appreciate the cheesy little talk you just had with our child – then again, I think they'd really love some cake too." I swatted his arm before leading him out of the room.

Despite our closeness in the privacy of quarters we still knew there were limits out in the open. We casually walked side by side, chatting normally.

"JOHN! GATEROOM!" Rodney sprinted past us and John spun around, following Rodney as fast as he could. I kept up what I could but it was unlikely that I was honestly needed there, I'd already know if I was.

We ran into the control room where it was eerily silent. Looking around I spotted a young marine with a large cut on the back of his head. I instantly made my way over, cleaning him up.

John peered through the glass, down the gate room. If the glass wasn't bulletproof, I imagine John would have put a bullet through it within seconds. Briggs had a gun held to Evan's head, holding him hostage. Carter was already stood on the stair trying to calm him down as best she could.

John clawed at his head, trying to regain control of his anger. He turned to the marine, still quite furious, "What the hell happened here!" The marine winced, "Major Lorne and I were escorting him back to the SG-C. He resisted us the whole way, yelling that he didn't deserve this, he'd been wronged."

He sighed, "Kept saying nobody would treat Harrison as good as he did, and then he kept going back on himself saying that Harrison deserves to die…" I'd finished cleaning him up and patted his shoulder gently, looking over to John. "

Lorne bit back, saying that anyone was better than he was. Then all hell broke loose, Briggs screaming that Lorne fucked Harrison and he lied to you to cover it up. I lost grip but Lorne pushed me away anyway, still got hit."

John rubbed at his forehead and I looked over worriedly. John turned around to Rodney, "I need you to pull up footage from the conference room last night." Rodney set out on his task immediately and John looked at me with sad eyes.

"I've got to go down there. Somebody will die if I don't." I blinked slowly, hating how angry I was. I nodded gently and as he walked by I caught his arm and he turned to me. "Don't be a hero." I felt a warm pair of lips against mine, as his hand came round to the back of my neck.

I watched as he descended the stairs, walking straight past Carter. My body was hot with adrenaline as I panicked over what would happen to the man.

**Holy- What's going to happen! Will John and baby survive all of the drama?**

**As always, drop me a comment or something? **


	17. Chapter 17

**This is it! The drama is coming to a climax!**

**Happy Reading! :)**

"Briggs." I started simply, his hand tensed around the gun threatening so I held up my hands, only a few metres away from them now. "Briggs, you need to put the gun down." He gritted his teeth, "He fucked him!" He yelled, pressing the gun tighter against Evan's head, making him wince slightly.

"Calm down, Briggs. I trust Major Lorne with my life and I know he'd never lie to me about this. If you want proof, McKay is up there, checking through all of the footage." Lorne never moved a muscle, a confirmation that he had nothing to hide, which came as a relief to me, even if I did trust him.

"I want to see it myself. I don't trust any of you people." I nodded, letting my hands go back down to my sides. I turned and shouted up to the control room. "McKay, bring it to me." I watched as the feeble man approached hesitantly, handing the pad to me at arm's length before retreating quickly.

I showed him the pad, the sped up footage playing across the screen. Lorne was never less than a metre away from the man and then the footage changed to hallways, proving they'd gone separate ways. Rodney had tracked Harrison all the way back to Briggs' quarters.

He took the gun from Lorne's head and I moved to pull him away but not before there was a gunshot. I looked over at Lorne who was still crouched into my side but when I looked around further, I saw Briggs' body fall to the ground.

"Shit." I whispered, slowly walking back to the control room with Lorne who seemed more vulnerable than I'd ever seen him before.

Carter followed us back to the control room, looking rather shocked about the whole incident. I sat Lorne down in the corner on the floor and knelt down before him. Carson came to my side, checking Lorne for any hidden injuries before kissing my temple and stepping away.

"Can you give us some privacy?" I requested and Carter ushered everyone out of the control room, apart from Carson, as I sat beside the terrified man who now had tears, streaking his face. I wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders and pulled him to lay his head on my shoulder.

Carson sat on his other side, rubbing his arm gently. "I messed up." He sobbed but I continued to stroke his hair. "You didn't sleep with him, Lorne, you did nothing wrong." A few heavy sobs escaped him.

I knew what was bothering him; he actually really likes Harrison and felt responsible even though Harrison never cheated, it was Briggs' green eyed monster doing the talking.

"Your feelings for Harrison are irrelevant – Briggs did this to himself." Evan's head shot up which made me smile a little, he still hadn't realised that I'd figured it out in the mess hall earlier.

The crying stopped but we sat there for a while, comfortable with the moment. Harrison came into the control room and knelt in front of Lorne. He'd obviously been told as he had also been crying but now looked nothing less than relieved.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly and Lorne nodded. I was a little surprised by how calm Harrison was, maybe he really was relieved. "I'm sorry," Lorne squeaked out but Harrison shook his head, "Don't be. I don't blame you for this." He offered a hand to Lorne who took it and stood up.

Harrison dragged him into a hug and whispered into his ear. "He was a good guy, I'm not sure what happened to him but I know the good guy had been buried pretty deep. He was angry for a very long time and he always took it out on me. You saved me, Evan, but I just want to remember the good guy. I don't want to hurt anymore." Tears rolled gently down Harrison's cheeks and Carson leaned into my side tiredly.

"Okay." Was all he said as he leaned his forehead against Harrison's "It'll be okay, I promise you." Harrison nodded gently, wrapping his arms tighter around Evan's neck, breathing him in. Evan stood there for while just rubbing circles gently over his back as he sniffled.

After a long moment, Lorne turned his head to me, "How did you know?" I smirked softly, "In the mess hall. You were blushing like a girl." I teased him slightly.

I kissed Carson's forehead gently, noticing how damp it was, he'd obviously been worried about me. He looked exhausted as his eyelids drooped heavily. "Come on, let's get you to bed, it's been a long day."

"What about your chocolate cake?" I shook my head, "Screw the cake, I'll choose you over cake any day. You'll just have to owe me the next time there's some in the mess." He smiled up at me, "Then bed it is." If he weren't so exhausted, people would have filled that with innuendo.

I squeezed Evan's shoulder as we left and he gave me a small smile, still holding onto Harrison. "Get some sleep guys; it's going to be rough for a few days." They nodded and we left, wandering the corridors to my, our, quarters.

**Phew! It all worked out for the better :)**

**Just a warning guys, the next chapter isn't really relevant to the story but I think it's a nice little tid bit :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**THIS IS AN EXTRA PART ABOUT LORNE AND HARRISON FROM LORNE'S POV**

**Happy Reading! :)**

I couldn't believe what had just happened. Briggs had actually held a gun to my head and I'm sure if we hadn't have had the proof to show him, I would have been dead right now.

Harrison wanted to remember the good guy that he used to be and I'd respect that because I cared about Harrison, maybe a little too much. I felt warmth throughout my whole body with him stood here, in my arms, and I never wanted it to end but it had to, it was inevitable.

"I'm tired," Harrison yawned quietly and I had to chuckle to myself. I pulled back but not too much, just until I could see his face. His face was pale but his eyes were still bright, I knew he'd be okay even after all of this.

"Then it's probably best that we get some sleep." I whispered in reply and he feebly nodded, looking down slightly. I held his chin in my hand until he looked up at me, "Can I come with you?" He asked insecurely.

A soft smile emblazoned my features, "You don't have to ask. You never have to ask." Harrison nodded to me and took my hand in his as we walked the corridors to my quarters. Once inside we changed, I leant him a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, and we got into the bed.

We lay there in the comfortable silence for quite some time, the shock washing over us gradually. I turned on my back and just as my eyelids turned heavy I felt the warm body of Daniel Harrison curl itself into me. I wrapped both arms around him, keeping him sheltered from the world for just one night.

**So yeah, totally not relevant to the main story but it was sweet so I decided to put it in here anyway :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**It's a little short but hey, we've had a good couple of action-packed chapters :)**

**Happy Reading! :)**

Return to the Story: JOHN'S POV:

I sat Carson down on the bed as I carefully peeled all of his clothes off him and pulled him gently into the shower. Under the hot spray his muscles relaxed noticeably. After taking off my own clothes I climbed in behind him, wrapping my arms around his body and resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I got you that worried. I had to go down there." Carson let out a sigh and turned around, leaning back against the wall. "You had to, you know you did, but you weren't a hero and I really do appreciate that." I rest my head on his chest as the water fell over us.

"For the first time in my life I was scared. Not because he had a gun, not that Lorne was in danger, not that Carter could easily have been shot. No, I was scared of him…what he'd done to Daniel." I hid my head but he just stood there and stroked my hair. "Liam." He whispered and I nodded carefully.

He pulled my chin up gently. "Neither of us would do that, John, do you know that?" He asked me, knowing that I was worried. "I know that but I never thought someone like Briggs would do it but look what just happened."

"John, I trust you with my life, there have been multiple situations where you could have easily turned on those that you love but each time you have protected them. I know you would never hurt me, and I swear I would never do that to you. It makes me want to physically be sick to think that Harrison had been put through all that – why would I do that someone I love, to someone whom is carrying my child?" I sighed, trusting him.

I slowly lowered my hands down his chest, tracing patterns just under his belly button until I heard his breath hitch and his cock become half hard. He tipped his head forward onto my shoulder, winding our hands together. "John." He let out with a hint of desperation.

I kissed all down his neck before stroking his now swollen cock. I could see the goose bumps cover his skin when I stroked my thumb across his slit. Moments later he was leaking and grappling onto my hips to keep him standing. "Let go, Carson." I gasped in his ear.

It only took seconds before he was pouring over my hand and collapsed into my arms, muttering my name over and over again. "Come on, let's get out of here." I nudged and he looked at me questioningly before I shook my head, "You can make it up to me some other time."

I leaned over and kissed him gently, a reassurance that we were both okay and that today was over. I washed the sweat off his body before pulling us both out of the shower and drying off. We climbed into bed and I wrapped my arms around my tired lover before falling into a deep sleep.

**And there we go, and end of a chapter! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**For once this is actually a really happy chapter, with pretty much no drama, but thankfully it's not totally irrelevant to the actual story or anything...**

**Happy Reading :)**

The next few weeks were chaos, a million questions were asked, and there were orders to do a proper investigation into what had pushed Briggs over the edge. We tried to keep Harrison out of it as much as possible but Lorne was key in it all and the two of them had grown close recently.

Once it was done, life caught up with me and I'd realised I'd still not gone for my ultra-sound and I was now five months pregnant. "I can't believe we've left it this late." Carson groaned as we got out of bed. "I should have made you go when we originally planned." I rolled my eyes, "We've had a busy few weeks to say the least, and I think we can be forgiven, Carson." He sighed, tying up his boot laces.

Eventually, we were both dressed and made our way down to the infirmary. Keller was already waiting for us in the private room when we got there so we went straight in. "Morning." She smiled brightly.

"So do we want to find out the gender or do you want to wait?" She asked easily but I looked at Carson with a frown, we hadn't even discussed it yet. "What do you want to do?" I asked him and he kind of shrugged, "I guess I'd like to know but if you want to wait it's perfectly okay." I nodded, processing his answer.

"Well then, let's find out," I smiled and took Carson's hand, kissing it gently. He smiled so adoringly that I couldn't help my heart melting. The gel was cool against my skin as Keller began her work. Moments later an image popped up on the screen, one beautiful little baby.

I looked over to Carson and saw the tears lingering in Carson's eyes. "It's a little girl, John." He whispered, looking straight at me. The smile on my face grew into a large grin as I pulled him in for a kiss. "She's perfect." I whispered to him.

Keller finished her scan, despite Carson and I having an intimate moment. She gently wiped the gel off my abdomen and pulled down my t-shirt. She printed out a couple of pictures and handed them to me, the smiles on our face never leaving.

* * *

After the scan, we made our way to the mess hall to get some lunch. Despite our heated kiss in the control room the day Briggs shot himself, there hadn't been another word spoken about it and it was at time like these I was glad the people here was compassionate and truly cared for their own.

I munched down my cheese and jam sandwich much to the disgust of Carson who deemed it to be revolting. "How do you know the president?" I asked out of the blue and Carson raised his eyebrow. "You're going to have to help me out; I don't know who the president is at the minute. Politics aren't really a thing around here." I rolled my eyes as he took to sipping his tea.

"James Walsh." He had to fight not to spit out the hot liquid in his mouth. He swallowed it down quickly before snorting with laughter. "Bloody hell, I can't believe people actually voted for him." I raised an eyebrow, "So you _do _know him."

"I do, unfortunately." He chuckled, "After I graduated from Edinburgh I went to the states to work for another university doing some very low-level research. James and I shared a room for a good few months before I went back to Scotland. After that we tend to end up in the same places…Kind of a small world where we're concerned." My eyebrow was still firmly raised.

"We were drinking one night and he told me that one day he was going to be president. I laughed it off and told him he was a moron. I guess he's less of a moron than I thought. How do you know I know him, anyway?" I smiled, "He wrote me a letter, it was a congratulation of sorts followed by a promise that three of us would always be protected." Carson looked taken aback.

"He was always a good guy but that's really…amazing, of him." I nodded obtusely, "He knows it's your kid as well, so that might have had something to do with it." Carson smiled at me, "It's times like these where I actually miss the guy – you'd love him if you met him."

"Well hopefully I will, he said that he'd love to visit… I mean he's a busy man but I don't see why we can't eventually sort something out." Carson nodded and briefly squeezed my hand before returning to his meal. "I love the fact that we get knowing looks now – people totally know what's going on…" I smirked and he chuckled slightly.

"Aye, Colonel Carter's planning on talking to all the heads of departments this afternoon as well though. She didn't want us there though – told us we needed to relax seeing as though we've not stopped for weeks." I nodded in agreement.

**So, what do you think? Hope you liked it.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, so I decided to make this chapter a little more substanial by making it longer, but you'll notice it's in three sections. Don't worry, they're all about the same part of the story so it does kind of make one long chapter..**

**Happy Reading :)**

CARSON'S POV: (The next morning)

I smiled to myself as I watched John attempt to tie his laces, something that was increasing in difficulty with every passing week. I stood before him, sipping my tea, "I won't judge you for wanting help, you know?" John gritted his teeth, "I CAN DO MY LACES CARSON!"

I stepped back, tidying a few papers that were sprawled across the desk. I heard a heavy sigh and the drop of John back onto the bed. I went over and knelt before him, trying his laces quickly before climbing over his hips and leaning in to kiss his cheek. "You're pregnant, John, something's are going to be a pain in the arse."

"I look pathetic! I can't even do my own laces!" He whined but I kissed him to stop him carrying on. I pulled back with a smile, "I think it's adorable. I think you're the most beautiful thing in the world and I could never believe you were pathetic – I think you've proved it on many occasions." He sighed, relaxing into the bad.

I rolled off and sat on the edge next to him, leaning over to kiss his stomach that was fairly prominent now. "I'll tell you again lass, your Dad is an arse. All this fuss over shoe laces – he won't care when he sees you, how beautiful you are." I felt John's hand stroke at the nape of my neck and I smiled, kissing his stomach once more.

"Are you okay now?" I asked softly and he nodded, he always had unshed tears when I spoke to our daughter, then again, I always talked to her when they were both in need of some comfort.

"Come on, I know all the drama is over but we've still got work to do – but food first." I hauled him up off the bed and took his hand as I took him down to the mess hall.

Once there, I ordered John's usual cheese and jam sandwiches, something that bothered me at first but was so common it didn't affect me anymore. We sat down at the table and were soon joined by both Major Lorne and Captain Harrison who were working on some sort of relationship.

"You helping me out with paperwork, sir?" John nodded with a grimace and I rolled my eyes. "It's not that bad, John, at least the stress is off now." John frowned at me, "I know, but I'm craving to tear up a wraith ship." I shrugged, knowing I couldn't say anything to help his situation.

"How did Carter's meeting go yesterday? Nobody has said anything yet…" John asked, he was right, not even one comment. "It was okay, I guess people are kind of used to being shocked. Radek was a little touchy but that's to be expected, homosexuality is still massively frowned upon where he comes from. Everyone else was just surprised that you were involved with the doc." I couldn't help but blush a little.

"I guess I can cope with that then," He responded as he squeezed my hand under the table gently. "I think Radek will be fine eventually."

"Right, well I really better be off – no doubt there'll be a sprained ankle to entertain my day." I snorted before kissing John's temple gently and stepping away.

* * *

JOHN'S POV

At twenty-one hundred, I thought it was about time that I dragged Carson away from the infirmary to join me in this lonely bed. I was wearing sweat pants and a black fitted t-shirt as I made my way down there.

The infirmary was darkened now; the patients that were there were now sleeping. The only real light was coming from Keller's office – the office that Carson mostly used seeing as though he did the majority of the paperwork. I opened the door and looked around, Carson wasn't at the desk, and instead, he was laid in a foetal position on the sofa. _Why didn't he just come to bed?_

I shook his shoulder a little and watched as he came around, "Hey." He let out, his voice gravelly from sleep. I smiled a little but it faded when I saw his red-rimmed eyes, then I frowned gently at him, "Carson, what's wrong?" I sat beside him once he was upright.

"I need to go back to Earth." He said in barely more than a whisper, "Carson, what's going on? What happened? I brushed his cheek gently, genuinely worried for the man. "My brother; he's in hospital." I gripped his hands tightly in mine, "What happened to him, Carson?" I pleaded, when Carson was in shock he wasn't very forthcoming.

"My father shot him." I gasped, unable to withhold my shock. "What the hell?" Carson looked at me emotionless. "He had a friend from the navy – he was gay – when my father found out he was pissed. Craig defended the guy to my father but he wouldn't have it… my father started calling Craig a fag and telling him he should burn in hell. Then it all went to shit." My blood was boiling – how could a man possibly shoot his own flesh and blood?

"How's your brother now?" Carson sighed and I pulled him into my chest, "Craig is fine, well, as fine as he can be under the circumstances. I need to see him, John." I nodded and kissed the top of his head, "I'll sort it for you, I swear."

After that, I took Carson back to bed and tucked him in, I then went to Carter's office – I knew she wouldn't have left yet and my theory was proved when there was light coming from her office.

I knocked on the door quietly before stepping in and taking a seat. "I take it that it was you that told Carson about his brother." She nodded sadly, "Is there any of you letting me escort him back to Earth for a couple of weeks." She bit her lip in thought.

"Permission granted," She said almost out of the blue, "You've got ten days leave and you gate out directly tomorrow afternoon." She looked at me seriously, "Make sure he's okay John – I don't want to lose anybody else, especially somebody that is as good a person as he is." I nodded, knowing what she meant, but they were all good people.

"I'm just worried he's going to do something stupid." I sighed, rubbing my stomach lightly, my little girl worrying just as much as I was, "I don't want Carson to be within a mile of that son of a bitch." Carter agreed grimly.

"Where's Beckett now?" She asked calmly, "I made him go to bed, he was exhausted." She nodded, "Look after him John and I'll make sure his father is nowhere to be seen. He should be in custody anyway." I flinched as the baby kicked me a little.

Carter smiled at me, "Lorne told me the baby had started kicking." I grinned back, "That's my girl." She looked at me proudly, "A girl?" Obviously that part of the news hadn't reached her ears yet. "Yeah, we found out when we had the scan." She cooed a little. The baby kicked again, a little harder this time and I gasped a little.

"C'mere." I beckoned my boss; I thought it was weird as soon as I had said it. However, she came and sat next to me. I smoothed out my t-shirt and laid her hand flat on my stomach. As soon as it made contact my little girl kicked and I could see the smile on Carter's face. "That's so cute." I chuckled.

* * *

After a brief conversation I headed back to our quarters where Carson was vaguely still awake. I slid in beside him and wrapped myself around his back, my arms wrapping around him until my hand was over his heart. "We head out tomorrow and we've got ten days. Carter's making sure your father is kept in custody for the duration." I heard a sniffle and pulled him closer into my embrace.

"I'm taking you home, Carson, but I won't ever leave you there." I reassured him, gently kissing his shoulder. "I never told him." He mumbled but I was confused, "You never told him what exactly?"

"I thought he'd think the same way as my father so I never told him I was gay. I need to thank him for what he did." I breathed in Carson's scent gently, "Yeah, I have a lot to thank him for too." I closed my eyes gently and followed Carson into a deep sleep.

**Poor Carson! I never thought he could've been one to bring all the drama! Shocker, eh? But yeah, we're going to delve into all of this :) Surprises ahead :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**So this chapter is probably one of the longer one's I've wrote and you'll notice it has got a split but that's only because there's a massive change of setting, but I'm not giving anything away ;)**

**Happy Reading :)**

When I awoke the next the morning, the warm body was still in my arms breathing gently. "Morning, love." The brogue came across quite thick at times like these and I loved every moment of it. "Good morning," I replied contentedly, kissing the side of his neck. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not really sure…" He said, sounding genuinely conflicted. "Well we'll figure it out. Meanwhile, I think we should go and get some breakfast, we've got a long day ahead." He turned around to face me, "How on Earth are you so perfect?" I snorted, "I wonder the same about you."

We got up and showered quickly, taking our own turns, before changing into what would be our civilian clothing. It was quite amusing when I realised the only pair of jeans I had were skinny jeans – luckily they still fitted around my hips. I threw on a standard t-shirt with a zip-up hoody. I also managed to hide away my converse amongst my things.

Carson wasn't much different; however he chose to wear brogue-style shoes to go with his hoody-blazer combination. The two of us were definitely 'batting for the other team' if you get what I mean.

We took a casual walk down to the mess hall, fingers loosely interlaced. People looked at us but neither of us cared at the moment. This was a time when Carson needed me and I wasn't going to deny him that. We silently sat down at our usual table. Despite appearances, we were both feeling very sombre.

After we settled I stood up to get some food, leaving Carson behind but I had a feeling he just needed a second to breathe on his own. "Morning sir, is Beckett okay – he doesn't look so good?" I gave a half shrug, "Family drama, we're heading back to Earth today to see if we can sort it all out. Please don't let on that you know – despite him talking all the time he's actually really private." Evan gave an agreeing nod, "Of course, well I hope everything turns out well for you, sir – and if you're feeling really friendly some chocolate and coffee wouldn't go amiss." I smirked and shook my head, not even bothering to answer him.

I took some bacon sandwiches and coffee back to the table where Carson was sat with the same empty expression, "Come on, Carson, you've got to eat something." I nudged gently and he let out a sigh before he came properly back to reality. "Sorry." He shook his head off.

"It's going to be okay Carson, we'll make it okay." He nodded feebly. "You've got to promise me that if any of this gets to be too much you'll tell me…" The slightly older man gave a sigh and nodded, "Promise."

* * *

"Okay – you ready?" I turned to Carson as we stood before the gate, our holdalls by our feet. Carson had been restless all day and his nerves were currently getting the better of him, shivers running straight through him. "Deep breaths, babe, we've got this." Carson stopped and turned to me with an eyebrow raised. "Did you just call me '_babe_'?" I gave a nonchalant shrug and turned back around to face the gate.

In truth, I'd never used pet names before, I'd never felt comfortable using them but it kind of just came out and honestly, I didn't mind. "Tap your shoes three times and we'll head back to Kansas, Dorothy." I mumbled under my breath but Carson heard me and let out a quiet chuckle, winding our hands together loosely.

Once the gate had whirred to life we picked up our bag, which nearly toppled me over since I've become overbalanced. Carson kept me upright though and was relieved as we only had to travel a matter of metres…well, kind of.

We stood right in front of the gate and both took a deep breath, I pulled Carson to stand right next to me before we both took a step through the gate. The next time my eyes were open I was stood at the top of the ramp in the SG-C.

I frowned, similarly to Carson when I saw the small crowd that had congregated in the gate room. General Landry met us at the bottom with an almost scary smile on his face and shook my hand. "Welcome back gentleman." He moved over and shook Carson's hand as applause erupted from all around.

"General? Are we missing something here?" I asked really quite seriously. Landry chuckled, "Firstly, these guys all know how hard you've had to fight to keep Atlantis. Then somehow the two of you single-handedly get 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' to be something that is long forgotten – and to top it off you end up carrying a child. I think you should take the applause." He recommended and we both just agreed.

A couple of airmen approached us and took our bags, telling us that they were being loaded into the car that we were going to be loaned to us by the air force. However, first, we had to be checked over in the infirmary. I took Carson's hand once again and led him to the infirmary.

"How on Earth do you know where you're going? You were never posted to the SG-C?" Carson enquired and I smirked, "I can't believe you don't remember – Ronan and I ended up here when the wraith decided to pay a visit." Carson nodded, remembering the event now, "Aye, when Ronan was being interviewed…" I nodded, confirming what he was saying.

As we round the corner I was ambushed by no other than Doctor Caroline Lamb. "Jesus, Care, you nearly floored me!" I complained but to no avail, she just stood up straight and glared at me, "John! Don't be such a girl – oh, talking of girls, how is your little princess?" I chuckled and saw Carson's calm smile. "She's doing great, has a talent for beating the-" Carson nudged me, "For kicking my ribs with a great deal of force." I finished, removing my vulgar language.

"Good to hear, now come on – I only want your blood and then you're free to go. If you behave I'll get you a lollipop and a sticker." She teased before dragging the both of us to sit on an empty bed. I could tell Carson was already confused over our relationship.

"Lamb and I did a tour in Afghanistan together; she patched me up a couple of times." I explained briefly and Carson gave a nod. "Yeah because dragging you out of the wreckage of your crashed helicopter and ripping out a massive shard of metal from your side and then stopping you from bleeding out is categorised under 'patched up'." I winced as I saw Carson's eyes drop to look at his hands.

I leant over and pecked his cheek, "It was a long time ago, doc, I'm completely fine now, you know that." He sighed and wasn't about to just accept what I'd said. "Some wounds are deeper than others and apart from being sucked on by the wraith queen, Afghanistan was probably the worst but I had Lamb right there with me – who better to have with you than a doctor, huh?" I nudged him painfully and he rolled his shoulders, easing the tension.

I hissed as Lamb stuck the needle in my arm and I heard Carson snort slightly, "Don't laugh – she hurts!" He shook his head at me happily, "Lamb, why couldn't Carson have done this – he doesn't pretend the needle's a javelin." Lamb smirked, "Where's the fun in that?"

"Here you go," She stuck a gold star sticker on the front of my t-shirt before putting a lollipop in my mouth. I grinned like a kid, "Thanks, doc. Hey Carson, I need to find Landry real quick but I'll be back for you, okay?" He nodded and I squeezed his knee gently before hopping off the bed.

I took a jog down to Landry's office, trying to be as fast as possible so Carson wasn't stuck in the infirmary for too long. I knocked on the door to his office and listened for his call before stepping inside.

"Sir." I stood up straight, "I was wondering if we could possibly ask a favour of the O'Ryan?" I asked and he smirked, "They're already expecting you, Colonel." I nodded and thanked him before taking a jog straight back to the infirmary.

Carson was happily chatting to Lamb now; something I didn't know if was good or bad. "Hey, I got permission to hitchhike onto the O'Ryan." Carson smiled, "How on Earth did you do that so quickly?" I chuckled, "Landry already arranged it – I think his hatred of me has dissipated." Carson rolled his eyes at me before accompanying me out of the infirmary. Just outside the door we bumped into one of the airmen that took our bag. "Sir, you're things are in the SUV and awaiting your boarding onto the O'Ryan." I looked at Carson with excited eyes, "They're beaming the car?" The airmen nodded and escorted us to the garage where the car was being kept.

I got in the driver's seat, ignoring the warning glances from Carson as he climbed in the other side. They'd really gone all out on this thing, black tinted bulletproof windows were just the beginning, and it looked as if it had a full computer fitted in there too.

"Boys and their toys." Carson mumbled but I just held his hand across the console. I the airmen stood looking into the window, after all Colorado had beautiful sunshine, and he handed me and earpiece as well as pointing out my sunglasses and other things that had been collected from my storage locker. Carson's things had been collected too.

"Have a nice day, sir." He saluted before walking away. I slipped the piece in my ear, "Sheppard, come in?" I waited few seconds before there was a reply. "Good to hear your voice, Colonel, we're going to beam you into the F-302 bay before beaming you back down."

"Marks, is that you?" I chuckled lightly, "Yes, sir." Was all he said, "Good to hear your voice too, Marks, now if you would."

Seconds later we found ourselves in the hangar bay, Carson let out a deep breath, "I still can't get used to that." He chuckled lightly. "What now?" He asked.

"We wait; they're going to beam us down again." He nodded but I could feel his sudden tension, "Hey, are you okay?" I squeezed his hand gently. "Just anxious, I think." I gave him a sympathetic look, "It'll be fine, I swear."

Literally as the words came out of my mouth we were back on Earth, with rain pouring onto the window mercilessly. "Damn, that's some heavy rain." Carson chuckled, "You are in Scotland, love, and it rains a fair bit." I rolled my eyes at his teasing. "If you're so smart, where the hell are we?" It was a fair question; we were surrounded by countryside with a small building in front of us. "Bloody hell." He remarked before stepping out of the car.

I stepped out of the car to join him, pulling my hood over my head as we made for the building. As soon as we stepped in I saw the tables placed around the room and the bar that stretched across the far wall. "Carson, would you mind telling me where we are?" He smiled and headed up to the bar. The room was mostly empty apart from a middle age women stood just behind the bar drying some glasses.

"This is the village I grew up in, John. We're not too far from Edinburgh. I've been in this pub many times when I was a kid." I looked over to him calmly, "When was the last time you were here?" He shrugged, "It was the day I left to go to university."

"Aye and ye' ne'er came back t' visit did ye'. Wee bugger las' time I saw ye'." The bar lady came up to us and Carson's jaw dropped, "Joanne?" The woman grinned. "Aye, how you doin' love? Last time I heard, you'd legged it over to the yanks." Carson chuckled, "Aye, I'm well, and you're information is correct as always."

"You work for the yanks?" He nodded, I wasn't sure if I was comfortable talking yet as I was one of 'those yanks' they were talking of. "Aye, it's been brilliant as well." She raised an eyebrow in my direction, "'Scuse me, I've been rude – who's yer friend Carson?" She asked politely.

"John Sheppard." I introduced myself and shook hear hand. "You're American." I blushed, "Yes ma'am." She put the glass she was drying down on the bar, "You're a soldier, and I know you're type." Carson stared at her. "Joanne," He warned, "He's not like Farren, he's a great man." I stood there awkwardly as she surveyed me.

"How many people have you killed?" She asked bluntly and Carson was about to defend me but I put my hand up to silence him, "Innocent people; three. Not by choice, if I could have saved them I would have given my own life." She carried on cleaning the glass. "You found yourself a keeper, love." Carson blushed.

"Don't you go all red, I've known you since the day you were born, and you can't fool me." I smiled slightly, despite her being scary as hell; she had a lot of heart. I actually took a seat next to Carson at the bar now I knew I wasn't about to be killed. "So this is a pub, right?" Carson nearly snorted with laughter, "It sounds weird when you say it."

"I'll stick to bar then." I smiled back at him. The woman behind the bar had finished cleaning the stack of glasses and was now fussing over her hair and make-up, "You look beautiful as you are ma'am, and don't deny it." I flirted outrageously and all Carson could do was laugh.

"Haven't the two of you got somewhere to be?" She scolded lightly. We looked at each other, "It's what, seven in the morning here?" She nodded, "We won't be let in if we turn up now, how about we hold off just a little while?" Carson nodded in agreement and because the pub was empty we decided we'd sit down at a table, Carson and Joanne with a glass of wine and I with a rather grim looking glass of water.

"So how come you don't drink?" Joanne questioned curiously, "You're not an alcoholic are you?" I shook my head, "No, not an alcoholic, just choose not to for my health." She let it go but I could tell she still suspected me for something and Carson glanced at me briefly. Some things just weren't in my file.

**Oooooh, cliffhanger a little? What do you think of the bar lady? Hope you enjoyed it :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**So I've kind of cut this chapter up a bit just so I can make it dramatic haha :)**

**Happy Reading :)**

CARSON'S POV:

It was lovely catching up with somebody like Joanne but I knew I had to be getting to my brother and even with that going on I think there was a conversation to be had with John somewhere along the line.

We got back in the car, the rain had lightened a little but there was still a definite drizzle and the sky was grey. We drove along the motorway, something that John needed a little explanation for as we tend to play things a little different than on 'freeways' but he picked it up quickly.

Once we were settled and I calmed I turned to look at him, smiling at his bump protruding over his seatbelt slightly. "There was a 'but' missing from that sentence you know." I stated and he looked over to me questioningly. "When you said that you weren't an alcoholic, there was a 'but'." John let out a sigh as his shoulders slumped.

"I had a problem with drugs, but not as serious as it could have been. It was stimulants; we were working fifty hour shifts up in the air and it was close to impossible to stay awake. It lasted for about three months before my CO dragged me into a freezing cold shower and locked me in my room for about three days." John gulped and I could see the pain from just the memory of it.

"That's why you barely reacted during the siege. You already had a tolerance. You helped Rodney the same way your CO helped you." I said gently, not judging him at all.

* * *

"I'm not proud of it, Carson, that's why I don't talk about it. I'm not that person, Carson, I don't give into drugs." I rubbed his arm gently.

"I know you don't and I'm sorry I made you take those drugs, if I'd have known…" John shook his head, "You were right, we would have all been dead if you hadn't have done it – and you didn't know so don't try and blame yourself for anything. I kept it to myself purposely." I sighed and gave in, tilting my head until it rest gently on the chair.

"I'm sorry if it hurt, John, that's all." I knew he wouldn't appreciate me taking any blame. He shrugged tiredly, "I got over it." The rest of the drive was quiet from then on; it only took us about an hour to reach the hospital.

We pulled up in the car park and took a deep breath before stepping out. Both of us briefly pulled our hood up, pulling the back down once inside the door. I went up to the reception desk and had to look twice before I fully recognised Anne on the desk.

"Bloody hell woman, what are you still doing working here?" I exclaimed and she looked at me in shock before recognising me, "Carson!" She ran around and wrapped me up in a hug. She pulled me away at arm's length before looking me over. "Damn, you still look hot." I couldn't help but blush, especially when John chuckled. "Anyway, as much as I love seeing you, I was wondering if you could tell me where Craig is." She nodded sadly, "Aye, he's in ward thirteen – four 'B', Jake took his case." I nodded, Jake was my mentor when I went through my surgical training and he was the best at what he did and I trusted him.

I took John's hand and tried walking away but Anne grabbed me with a raised eyebrow, "introduce me to your fella first, your brother can damn well wait, he's been pestering the nurses since the moment he got in here." I rolled my eyes, "Anne, this is Colonel John Sheppard; John this is Doctor Anne Williams, toughest and most overly qualified nurse on the planet." John chuckled and shook her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you." He gushed and she fluttered her eyelashes, it seems she had an appreciation for his accent.

I dragged John away and over to the elevator. "So you know her?" John stated more than asked, "I used to work in this hospital, John, but I didn't expect anyone I knew to still be working here. Especially not her, she's probably better qualified than I am yet she insists on being a nurse." John had a proud look on his face for her.

We walked down what would have seemed to John, to be a maze of corridors until we reached a door with a large sign reading 'ward thirteen'. I stopped in front of the door and let out a shaky breath. John gripped my hand tightly before pushing the door open and pulling me through gently.

"I know you Carson, if I don't push you you'll hesitate and I don't want you to do that." I nodded, showing him that I understood; he knows me too well. "Right, he's in 4b which should be just down the corridor on the right. I want to talk Jake before I go in there though. He won't sugar coat anything." John nodded and pulled me over to the office style area.

Luckily, Jake stepped out just at the moment, almost tripping over when he spotted me. His hair had changed from being grey to white now but he still had the same intelligent face, "Jesus, Beckett, you nearly gave me a heart attack – I didn't think you'd show." I chuckled a little, "Good to see you too Emery. How's Craig doing?" He flicked through a few pages of his chart before showing me. "The bullet hit his side and fortunately didn't do much damage, just hurt like a bitch." I rolled my eyes, "I take it that's why he's been a pain in the arse?"

"I take it you spoke to Annie?" I nodded, the two of them to my knowledge were married still, "He's a wind up merchant but he's fine and he's healing up well with no sign of any sort of infection." I handed him the chart back, satisfied with my findings. "Where've you been, kid?" He said with a thick voice and I gave him a sigh.

"You know where I went, Jake, I know you and I know that you would have followed my every move." John stood confidently behind me, my rock. "I did, I know you're apparently in America but you've been quiet for an awfully long time, Carson, what's going on?"

John stepped forward slightly, "He's a consultant to the United States Air Force, and a lot of his work gets classified." Jake looked over to me with confusion. "Jake, this is Colonel John Sheppard, he works for the Air Force but he's also my partner. John, this is Doctor Jake Emery, my mentor."

"I don't understand." Jake claimed and I bit my lip trying to explain, "I'm doing research for them, nothing serious but they require a certain amount of discretion from me." He nodded, "Can I see Craig?" I changed the subject and Jake went back to being professional, leading me to Craig's room.

**And now they're going to actually meet Carson's brother...Any surprise around the corner? Maybe ;)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Ooooohhh... Happy Reading :)**

I leant against the doorframe, Jake left us to be. John stood behind me and placed a kiss discretely on the back of my neck. Craig was in a light sleep at the moment and I wanted to leave him be, if only to see him look so peaceful.

"Carson." John whispered in my ear and a tear rolled down my face. "He's not just my brother. He's my twin." I said, my voice cracking. John wrapped his arms around my waist, our hands resting over my heart with his head on my shoulder. "Remember what Emery said, he's going to be fine."

I sniffled and wiped away my tears, listening to the rain coming down on the window in his room, "I know he's fine; I just don't know how somebody could shoot their own child." I stepped out of John's grasp and sat in the chair by his bed and took his hand, placing a kiss on the back of it.

Craig woke up only moments later, a little groggy but the same as ever. "Please tell me I'm not seeing things." He groaned and I couldn't help but laugh amongst my tears. "I assure you, I'm here. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner." I caught John sitting on the chair in the corner before paying my full attention back to Craig.

"How are you feeling?" I asked sceptically. "Bullets really hurt." He said blatantly, and I was happy for his good humour, "Aye, preaching to the choir." His eyes shot open, "What the hell Carson!"

I tried to calm him down but he stayed furious, "Craig. Please just hear me out." He stilled, his hand having a tight grasp on mine, "I work for the American air force, and I was assigned to a military team out in the field. I was shot last year but I was fine."

"You're full of shite Carson Beckett." I rolled my eyes, resting my head on his hand, "I got hit in the chest, I flat lined for about thirty seconds but I came around. I recovered just fine." Craig looked at me with sorrow, "It wasn't just you that was hurt, he looks like he's about to break down in tears." He looked over to John who had watery eyes. Of course he would, he was the one who was there when I flat lined.

"Craig. What happened with you and Dad?" He raised an eyebrow, "You already know what happened, I can tell." I sighed, "I read the report, yes, but I want to hear it from you." Craig's hand slipped out of mine as he rubbed his face.

"I work with a guy called Nathan. He's been married to Matthew for twelve years. I offered to drive him home but we were going to stop at Dad's because it was half way and it was late anyway." I nodded, urging him to continue. "Everything was fine until Dad found out that Nathan was gay, and then it all went downhill. Somewhere along the line Dad was convinced that I was being 'infected' by Nathan."

I bowed my head, holding back my anger from his sight. "I argued back and then Dad kept saying that if I was 'like him' I should be dead; that I don't deserve the life that I have. He said I would never be his son; he picked up his hunting rifle and fired. Nathan took him out after that and voila, here I am."

"Thank you." I whispered, the tears pouring down my face, "Carson?" He stroked my hair gently and I looked up to see his soft features. "Thank you, Craig." I said again but his face never changed, "I love you little brother and I will always defend you." I smiled, of course he knew. "So are you going to introduce me or what?"

I beckoned John over, "Craig, Colonel John Sheppard; John this is my brother Craig." John grinned and shook Craig's hand, "It's great to meet you." John said proudly. Craig looked him up and down before settling on John's swollen stomach, John laughed and brought the chair over from the corner and sat beside me.

"Craig what I'm about to tell you will sound like a joke but I swear to you it's the truth. John, he's a man through and through but he also has the ability to carry a child to term." Craig frowned at me, "That's impossible." I sighed, "We thought that too but it's all true. Meet your unborn niece, Craig." His eyes were watery, matching my own.

"You're not kidding?" He asked almost unsure and I just looked at him, "I wouldn't lie to you Craig." I whispered. "Oh my god," He cried and I rest my head on John's shoulder as he put a protective arm around me.

It was only a matter of minutes later that the conversation had turned more cheerful, but I had a nagging feeling inside of me. I wanted to help Craig out, really help him out but I couldn't do that if Atlantis was still a part of the equation. I'd talk to John later about it all, get some perspective.

**Twins? Oh my! Haha, thought I'd mix it up a little :) And he told him everything! **


	25. Chapter 25

******So I've kind of had to butcher the chapters a little bit but I'm sure it will make sense eventually..AKA, there's more drama! HAHA**

**Happy Reading :)**

JOHN'S POV

We'd been in the hospital all day, on top of being awake an extra twelve hours on Atlantis and we were both exhausted. We said our goodbyes to Craig before heading out. We got out to the car and drove down the road until we came to a 'posh' bed and breakfast. Fortunately, we'd been handed a credit card by the air force for use, despite us still having access to our back accounts- it was safer that way, we had to minimise our known presence.

After asking for a double room we got an overly polite smile and a room key with verbal directions. We went back out to the car and collected our things before going up to the room. It was pleasant enough if not on the dull side but it didn't really matter, it was only a place to sleep for us.

We'd had a long day but neither of us had eaten so we made our way down to the dining room where there were half a dozen other people dotted around. The room was almost a conservatory with all of the windows giving view of the garden. We sat down at a small table in the corner of the room.

I rolled my shoulders and Carson winced when my bones cracked. "I'm sorry, you've been awake for far too long, it can't be healthy." I shook my head, sipping on the tea we'd been given – something I'd never really consumed before. "You've been up too, and don't worry about us, we're doing fine." He leant tiredly against the wall taking my hand resting on the table.

A little while later food was served and we ate quietly, ignoring the curious glances from the other guests. "They're not hostile, John, we're not in America and they're not my father." He reassured me and I nodded, even though I was still a little wary.

As soon as we had finished dinner we slipped out and made our way to the bedroom, not in the mood to socialise with the other guests. We quickly got changed into sweatpants and got straight into bed. Carson curled up into my shoulder, the only way I could properly hold him this far into the pregnancy.

I could feel his soft and warm breath on my shoulder but he wasn't asleep, I could tell something was troubling him. "You want to talk?" I asked in nothing more than a whisper but I felt him sigh. "After our ten days we go back to Atlantis – what about Craig?" He asked simply but I didn't have an answer.

"He's safe now; I'm sure he'll just go back to work. Even if he doesn't I'm sure he'll find something else. We'll come and visit more often, we won't leave it for emergencies." Carson nodded and tucked himself further into me before we both fell into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

CARSON'S POV

I woke up feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. The warm arms around me just completed perfection. John peeked an eye open at me smiled, "Good morning." He said groggily, his voice still not quite working. "Morning," I leaned up and kissed him before grimacing. I slid out of bed and rummaged through my bag until I came across our tooth brushes. I dragged John out of bed to join me.

Despite his hair usually being a mess, it was even worse when he just got out of bed, sticking up at every angle. He stood behind me at the sink, tracing patterns on my back as we washed. I relaxed a little into his embrace. "What time is it?" John looked at the watch on his wrist that he'd set to the proper time. "Little after eight but I don't think we're in a rush. We should get breakfast before we head out; your little girl is hungry."

I chuckled at him, rinsing out my mouth, "Are you sure it's my little girl or do you think it might just be you?" John shrugged playfully, "If I said both would it make you come down to get breakfast sooner?" I gave another chuckle. "Go on, I'll catch you up." John got dressed in his black skinny jeans and overly large woolly jumper before scurrying out of the room.

I took a little while longer, dressing also in skinny jeans but mine were grey with a white button down and grey blazer. I made my way down stairs, admiring the pictures hung there on the way. The same guests as last night were in the dining room and I noticed John was in conversation with an old couple. I walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder gently just letting him know I was there. He carried on talking but place a hand over mine as the owner of the house handed me a hot cup of coffee.

"I've actually flown a harrier, a beautiful bird." John gushed and the man smiled, he must have been in his early seventies along with his wife and they both had light grey hair but both were also full of life. "It was the first model aircraft I bought my grandson, and he has dozens of them now." John grinned, "I had them as a kid too – used to hang them from my ceiling on a piece of string, used to stare at them for hours." The older man smiled softly.

"Have you ever flown in a fast jet before, sir?" John asked but the man shook his head, "No, but I've always wanted to." John grinned, planning something internally.

Eventually I pulled up a chair and sat next to John, enjoying listening to their conversation. Despite being engrossed, John still managed to conjure up some hot porridge for me, giving me a cheerful look.

"Can I ask how long the two of you have been together?" John asked, admiring the couple, the woman smiled, "Fifty-three years and I've loved every minute of it." John took my free hand in his, "That's amazing." He grinned. "And what do you do, son?" The man asked me.

"I'm a doctor, sir." The man smiled at me, "Two highly skilled people, you must be the envy of a great many people." I chuckled slightly, "I think they envy John more than me." I blushed and John rolled his eyes. "Anyone can learn to fly a plane, Carson, it takes a lot of heart to do what you do."

After we finished our breakfast we excused ourselves from the old couple's table and headed out to the car where we collected our wallets and phones from our personal effects before driving off. The rain had returned to being heavy to the point where it was difficult to see more than ten metres away but John was always vigilant.

**And here we go...**


	26. Chapter 26

**DRAMA!**

**Happy Reading :)**

We got to the hospital fairly quickly and went straight to Craig's room. "Well you guys took your time!" Craig teased as we came in. We took our seats the same as yesterday and spent time talking to him. Despite not talking to him for years I realised just how much you can miss a person – I guess it's doubled when the person happens to be your twin, the person you grew up with.

It got to around dinner time and John and I decided we'd go down to the cafeteria, much to Craig's annoyance as he was still limited to his bed and the toilet. "We'll bring you something back, don't worry." I promised and we made our way out.

We got into the elevator, my stomach swirling as we descended and as the doors opened everything went into slow motion. I turned the corner and froze as I saw my father by the reception…grinning.

John must have seen me stop because the next thing I know he was nudging me for an answer, "What's wrong, Carson!?" He hissed but my anger kicked in and I marched up to the man.

Seeing Anne's pale face I grabbed the man's arm, twisting his body to face me before hitting him square in the jaw.

He toppled to the ground, clutching his face in pain as John ran over to my side, "JESUS CARSON! Where the hell did you learn to punch like that?" An edge of pride came through in his voice.

"YOU EVER FUCKING COME NEAR MY BROTHER AGAIN AND I SWEAR YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN YOU HOMOPHOBIC FUCK!" I screamed out at him, only John restraining my arms keeping me from attacking him.

Instantly, police ran towards the scene and tried to help but there was nothing they could do. "NO FATHER SHOOTS THEIR FUCKING SON AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! HE WAS DEFENDING ME YOU STUPID ARSE! YOU SHOT HIM WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!" He looked at me in shock.

"We should have aborted the both of you, I told her that's what we should have done – neither of you deserve to live but you still took her away from me. You're a disgrace to the world and you will never be able to wash that dirt of your hands. God will never look upon your face, he will spit on you. You are nothing, and nobody will ever love you." He spat out at me.

It was too much; my chest was being ripped apart as my whole body burned. I ran away into the cold and into the rain where the fire couldn't hurt me.

I kept running and running, losing where I was until my feet were sore and my legs tired. I was by an old church and I sat against its door, sobbing and alone.

"Maybe he's right." I muttered to myself and I jumped when I got a response, "No, he's not." I looked up to see John standing before me; I'd not even heard him follow me.

He took a hold of my hands and pulled me to stand up. My muscles were fatigued and my eyes stung. "How do you know, John?" I asked, my voice breaking with emotion.

"I know he's wrong because he says that nobody loves you." I looked to the floor, fresh tears being shed. He lifted my chin gently and gave me a sad smile.

"Your friends on Atlantis love you, McKay, Ronan, Teyla, Jennifer, Sam, Jack. Your friends from Earth love you; James – the very man that you said was a moron and went on to become president of the United States of America; Joanne – the really scary landlady who wears her heart on her sleeve that you grew up with, Anne – the nurse who cares so much about people that she refuses to be a doctor; Jake – the man who taught you to be the amazing healer you are today and has followed your every move since; Craig – your own flesh and blood that cried tears of joy when you came back." I nodded, sniffling still.

John took my hand and placed it on his stomach. "Don't forget your daughter – because she loves you more than anything in the world and because she will be just as amazing and beautiful and talented as you are." I wanted to collapse into his chest but he held me back, cupping my cheek gently with one hand.

The rain was still pouring over us, his hair had been flattened and his clothes were soaked but I can't imagine I looked any better.

He stroked my cheek gently and gulped deeply until our foreheads were touching. Our lips brushed ever so gently but it felt like they were electric and I'd never felt so much before.

He gently pulled back and let his own tear fall, "I love you so much, Carson, and I've been so scared to tell you but now I truly know the kind of man you are; and I realise that I've been in love with you for a _very_ long time."

**I'm not even going to say anything...**


	27. Chapter 27

**Now I'm kind of looking to resolve anything so all hope can be restored :)**

**Happy Reading :)**

JOHN'S POV

Telling Carson that I loved him wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I kept myself from saying it but I should have said it a long time ago; he deserved those words a million times over.

He sobbed into my chest, gripping my jumper tightly as I just held him there. Eventually the rain lightened until it had stopped altogether, I thanked God for the relief, despite the vicious words of Carson's father. God would never look upon a man like Carson with shame; he was too full of goodness.

Carson's sobs eased off and I carefully rubbed his back, rocking the man slightly. "Your father will never change in his ways but that's okay because I will spend every day for the rest of my life telling you how much I love you, proving to you that you are not nothing, because you'll always be everything to me and to your daughter." He sighed against my chest, exhausted.

I took him by the hand and we walked all the way back to the hospital where there were several police cars parked. We entered the building where Anne approached us and took us into one of the empty rooms. I sat Carson down on the bed and stripped the both of us of our clothes.

He was cold but nothing serious; I toweled him down before dressing us in scrubs. I lay down on the bed and pulled his head to rest on my chest. "He should never have been let out of custody; Carter said he was being held. Today was a mistake, Carson, and it won't ever happen again." I promised to him, stroking a hand through his damp hair.

A policeman came into the room looking partially sad but also a little irritated. I guessed that his feelings were aimed towards Carson's father rather than us. "On behalf of the police I want to apologize. Despite there being orders to keep him in custody he had been released. It was a terrible mistake on our behalf but I assure you I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again." I nodded, knowing Carson couldn't handle anything right now; he just lay numb against me.

The officer left us and we sunk back into the silence, I listened to every breath that Carson took, it was soothing to me. After a while, Anne came in with some hot chocolate which we both accepted gratefully. "Jake told your brother what's happened. He's asked for you to see him but he said for you to come in your own time." Carson gave a feeble nod, sipping on the hot liquid.

"I love you too." He whispered to me and I couldn't help but chuckle a little, "I know you do." I pressed a kiss to his temple. "You want to go and see Craig or do you want to hang out here for a while?" He sighed, "I don't know." He was so lost that it made my heart ache for him.

"If I hadn't of seen him when I got out of the elevator, what would have happened?" Carson questioned himself more than he did me. "What if, by chance, he's let out from custody again and he actually gets to Craig this time and I'm not there?" I could tell he was really bothered by this. "What if he finishes the job this time and I won't even know because I'm tucked away safe in Atlantis?" I wrapped my free arm around him.

"I think you've already got an answer to these questions, Carson. I haven't got a clue so it's up to you – you do what's best." Carson frowned at me, "I could be telling you I want to stay on Earth, how can you say that?" I smiled, "I know you won't do that – you've not got anything here apart from your brother and you've got a family that is additional to me in Atlantis. Your home is Atlantis." He sighed and tilted his head onto my shoulder. "You know me too well."

I took a sip of my hot chocolate. "I love you, I should know everything." He sat up after that and retrieved his phone from his pants. "I don't know if it'll work but I've got to try." I raised an eyebrow for him to elaborate. "My home is Atlantis and that's where my family is. My family, John, and that should include my own brother." I smiled, now knowing what he was trying to achieve.

He dialed an old number, one planted in the furthest corner of his mind. "James, is that you?"

* * *

CARSON'S POV

"James?"

_"Carson? Is that you buddy?"_

"Aye, I can't believe you still kept the phone."

_"I told you I would, didn't I?"_

"You did, I guess I never quite believed you."

_"You never thought I'd be president either but I just had to prove a point."_

"You always were a show-off."

_"Don't you know it. Carson, not that I don't love hearing from you for the first time in a good few years but I've got a feeling there's more purpose to this conversation than there has been so far."_

"You're right."

_"Well, what is it Carson?"_

"My brother, Craig, he's British Navy and I want you to give him clearance to come to Atlantis with me indefinitely."

_"What's changed for you to ask me that?"_

"My father shot him for defending me and he came back to the hospital today to try and finish the job. I can't leave my brother here, James, it's not safe."

_"Okay, Carson, I'll do it. You'll have to give me an hour so I can sort everything out but I don't see this as a problem and in the meantime I suggest you tell your brother about the expedition – even if he can't be posted I'll still clear him for civilian duties." _

"Thank you so much, I appreciate everything you've done for me James, I honestly don't know how to thank you."

_"I've always wanted a niece to spoil, Carson, maybe if you could give me that privilege?"_

"The privilege has been yours for a while now, James, and it always will be."

_"You've made one man extremely happy, Carson."_

"I could say the same to you."

_"I guess you could. I'll see you around, Carson; I've got some calls to make to the British Navy." _

"Take care, James." The call ended and I turned to John with a relieved expression. "All that's left is to talk to Craig. Ball's in his court."

"I think we should go back to the bed and breakfast, John, this can all wait until tomorrow because I'm exhausted. John agreed so we left the hospital hand in hand, asking Anne to tell Craig we'd be back in the morning.

**Aww, what a nice Mr. President :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**I'll let you get on with it...**

**Happy Reading :)**

It wasn't even raining when we got back so we headed to the dining room where some of the other guests were just returning for the night also, "That reminds me, I've got to make a phone call too." John said and I smiled, watching as he looked over to the table where he'd chatted to the couple just this morning.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called a number, "Harrison is that you?" I frowned at the surname but persevered. "Are you still based in Waddington?" Has asked politely,

_"Yeah man, are you in the area?"_

"Not exactly but I was wondering if I could use that favour now?"

_"What would that be exactly? This better not get me into any trouble."_

"It's nothing bad, but I met this man who has loved planes all his life but has never been up in the sky. He lives locally to you."

_"You want me to take him up?"_

"Would you be willing?"

_"That's fine, Sheppard, I'll send you a time and date in a second. It's good to hear from you though…"_

"Yeah, you too H, and thanks." John hung up the phone and in a matter of minutes he got a text with a time and a date.

By luck, the same couple had just walked into the dining room looking perfectly cheerful. "You should go and tell them," I said to John and he nodded finding a piece of paper and pen and scribbling down the details. "Come on, I'm not going on my own."

He dragged me up and we went to their table, I was glad theirs seated four instead of ours which only seated two. "Good afternoon how was your day?" They both smiled and recounted some of their activities to us before it all boiled down to John.

"You said you've never been up in the air, right, or at least not in a fast jet?" The man nodded hesitantly but John just grinned, "Well, as long as you actually want to, a friend of mine would love to show you around." The man's jaw dropped open in shock.

"We went through flight school together but he actually works with the RAF at Waddington now and he flies Tornado's and Eurofighters." John handed him the piece of paper looking awfully happy.

"Oh my gosh, are you serious?" The man asked, "Yes sir, I just called him a few minutes ago." I took John's hand in my own and smiled, "Now's your chance to go up in one of those planes you've been building for so long. I hope you enjoy it."

About an hour later, dinner was served and we ate in good company; however I could feel how tired I was as my muscles were aching from my earlier run from the hospital. I dropped my head onto his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "Babe, are you okay?" John asked after wincing at the sight of me rolling my shoulder and the bones cracking. I nodded tiredly, "Aye, I'll be fine." John kept glancing at me warily. "I promise it's nothing a hot shower can't cure."

Dinner was thankfully uneventful and we had been able to quickly make our way to our room. I sunk down on the bed but John pulled me back up, careful not to tip. "Come on, there's a shower to be had." I groaned before dragging my sore body to the bathroom.

As soon as I got myself into the shower my body sagged but I was glad to feel John step in behind me, "I miss Atlantis showers." He complained but it had no real depth. "Aye, but we'll be back there soon enough." John wrapped his arms around me and I sunk into his embrace.

He carefully washed over my body, massaging my shoulders and back as he did. It should be the other way round but at this moment in time I really didn't have enough energy to argue with him.

Once we were both washed I turned in his embrace and wrapped my arms around his neck, joining our lips in a gentle kiss that lasted long enough to lose ourselves. John broke away and sighed into my ear, "I love you so much, Carson." I closed my eyes gently and took a deep breath, playing with the hairs at the back of his head, "I love you too." I replied softly.

"How long, John?" I asked with a shaky breath and he held my waist tighter as the water cascaded around us, "I cared about you for a long time, Carson, I cared about you from the day you nearly shot me down in Atlantis.

"I realized I loved you that night when we lost Teyla, when we…" He didn't need to finish the sentence, not that he could anyway as I dragged him into another long kiss, his soft lips grazing against my own.

After the shower we went straight to bed, John tucked comfortably in my arms as we fell into a deep sleep.

**They're so cute! Moving on...**


	29. Chapter 29

**So I think this is the real start of the resolution involving Craig and Carson...**

**Happy Reading :)**

It was the next morning and we found ourselves stood just round the corner from Craig's room; my breaths were coming short and quick as I worried over how I could tell my brother where I'd really been for the last five years. "We'll get through this, Carson, no matter what happens." I took a deep breath before taking John's hand and going into Craig's room.

Like the first day, he was sleeping lightly, but this time I couldn't wait to talk to him. I went to his side and put my hand gently on his shoulder, waking him up almost instantly. "Hey." I whispered with a teary smile.

"Carson!" He cried out, pulling me into a hug, "I heard what happened – are you okay?" He checked me frantically for any sign of injury but I waved his hands away from me. I sat down in the chair next to the bed, "I'm fine, Craig, he didn't touch me." However, the dried blood on my knuckles didn't go unnoticed.

"Carson." He stared at my hands until I gave a defeated sigh. "I saw him and I threw a punch, that's all – John was there, he'll tell you." Just as I had said it, John confirmed my actions. "I would have stepped in if it had escalated." He said and Craig accepted it.

"Look, Craig, there's something I need to tell you but I'm not quite sure how." Craig looked at me with a frown, "What's wrong Carson?" He asked cautiously.

"When I told you I worked for the United States Air Force you assumed that I was in America?" Craig nodded, still not quite following where this was going. "I do work for the Air Force, Craig, but I don't work in America."

"So where do you work?" He asked and quite rightly so, "You've got to hear me out, okay. I promise I'll get there eventually." Craig nodded, getting comfortable and I sensed John sitting in the corner watching over us but giving us privacy at the same time. "Fifteen years ago there was an archeological dig in Egypt and there was a discovery. They uncovered a large device that they described as, simply, a door.

"This device, now known as a stargate was transported back to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado.

"How this device worked or even what it did was unknown until about two years later when Doctor Daniel Jackson discovered it's true purpose. This gate was capable of creating a stable wormhole to other planets within our galaxy.

"Just bear with me," I noticed his disbelieving expression, "It works. We have the capability to travel to other planets in a matter of seconds and there's been a program set up by the military to allow for us to explore the galaxy. There's life out there, Craig, hundreds of other races."

"There are little green men in shiny space suits?" He asked with a hint of humor, "They tend to be a little less generic than that but yes. Actually, the Asgard are pretty close to that description," I joked to John behind me who nodded in agreement.

"Who is the Asgard?" He asked with one eyebrow raised, "Amongst these hundreds of races there are four that are more superior and far more advanced than you could ever dream. One of these races is the Asgard, as well as the ancients, the Knox and the Furlings. It wasn't until recently that we had advanced enough to be considered 'The Fifth Race'."

"So what are you trying to tell me?"

"Most of the people who work within the stargate project are based in America, yes, but five years ago we discovered something amazing. Have you heard the tale of the Lost City of Atlantis?"

He shrugged, "That's the city they reckon is lost somewhere at the bottom of the ocean?" I nodded, "Aye, that's the one…

"Five years ago we discovered that if you have enough power you can travel not only within our galaxy but you can also travel into the next galaxy. Doctor Jackson discovered what he believed to be the co-ordinates to what we refer to as Atlantis."

"Holy…I thought it was just some little myth they thought was entertaining?" I chuckled a little, "It's the most beautiful city I've ever seen, Craig, and you could never imagine it in your wildest dreams." Craig shook his head trying to clear it, "Wait, what?"

"Craig, there was an expedition formed. At the time we actually believed it to be a one-way trip; we only had enough power for one trip. I didn't think I had anything lose so I agreed to go with them." Craig looked sadly at me, "I'm sorry little brother." I shook my head and took his hand lovingly.

"Doctor Jackson was right about it being Atlantis. It was under water too but when we got there we had to surface it because the shields were failing." Craig frowned, "Hang on, it was underwater but you actually moved it, just like that?"

"It's not just a city Craig; it's a fully functioning ship. I know this sounds very star trek but I swear to you it's all real."

"Star Trek indeed. I thought you said it was a one way trip; how are you here now?" I smiled, "For a long time we were on our own and I won't lie to you it wasn't easy, we've got enemies out there and nasty ones at that. About a year after we got there was the great siege, our enemies, The Wraith, were attacking us hard and we were losing in every sense of the word.

"However, a team back on Earth had discovered a power source, left by the creators of the stargates…The Ancients, and they were able to send through reinforcements just in time. We managed to trick The Wraith into believing that Atlantis had been destroyed but we weren't.

"There are now hundreds of people in Atlantis, trying to work their way through the Ancient's database to uncover their knowledge and their technology."

"You talk about them like they're dead?" He said and I couldn't do anything but shrug, "I guess, technically, they are. The Ancients were far more advanced than even the other three races and they found a way to go to a higher plane of existence where they exist as a single conscience of pure energy rather than dying in their human bodies."

"Wait, they're human?"

"Aye, who do you think built the great pyramids in Egypt?" Craig's heart rate went up and I was first to notice. All of this was a lot to take in and I assumed that he was having some sort of anxiety attack.

I sat on the edge of the bed and held his face still, "Craig you've got to relax, take a few deep breaths for me." He nodded and gasped as best he could before exhaling again. We repeated the process several times until his breathing returned to normal. "I know it's a lot Craig but I've got my reasons for telling you."

"When I was eighteen I graduated from college with my brother at my side. A week later my brother was gone and we had no idea where he was. Doctor Emery told me you were here for a while before you went to America. I didn't know this until a few days ago but I accepted it, America's supposedly land of opportunity, whatever.

"But that was fifteen years ago, Carson, and to make it worse you weren't just the other side of the planet, in fact you weren't even on the planet, you were in a different bloody galaxy! If you couldn't even speak to me and tell me you were at least alive for all these years, why would you possibly start telling me anything now?"

A tear rolled down my face as I slumped into the chair, staring down at my hands. "I'm so sorry, Craig, I'm so sorry." I whimpered but he had no answer, neither of us did.

* * *

"For all these years," He whispered after a few minutes of silence, "I thought my little brother was gone for good but I never stopped praying that you were okay, that you weren't hurt or alone. I prayed that I might someday get my little brother back." I sobbed into his hand as he stroked into my hair.

**Not going to lie, I even got a little emotional at it... But it's going to get happy again for sure :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**I think this chapter is pretty self-explanatory..**

**Happy Reading :)**

JOHN'S POV

Never in my life had I seen Carson Beckett shed so many tears, he was such a strong man and to see him this vulnerable was both endearing and frightening.

Despite the emotions running high between the two men, this conversation was not yet over so I got up and stood at the foot of the bed, facing Craig who seemed calm.

"There's more, Craig," I encouraged Carson but I knew he couldn't talk anymore, "You were told about earlier, yes?" He nodded, "That should never have happened, Craig, and the worry is that if it has happened already it's possible that it could happen again." Craig gulped, "We can't let that happen because if he's let out again he'll make another attempt to finish what he started."

"What are you trying to say?" He pushed me onwards, "We don't want to even give him opportunity to find you again."

Just as luck would have it Carson's phone rang and Carson instantly answered it, "Beckett?"

_"Carson it's James. I've cleared it with the British Navy."_

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much,"

_"There are some terms, Carson. Your brother will basically sign himself over to the Air Force. He'll be serving the Americans as soon as he steps into Atlantis. He'll still be on active duty and will still be recognized as British Navy however the recommendation is that you find an appropriate field for him to work in as he has zero experience of gate travel."_

"I'm sure we'll sort something out quickly enough."

_"He'll be under the protection of Atlantis after that and if, at any point, he return to Earth, even on leave, he will then be under the protection of the United States government, the same as every other person residing in Atlantis."_

"Thank you James."

_"Oh and another thing, you're welcome to travel back to Atlantis any time you wish, unscheduled. You also have full use of the O'Ryan's services whenever you require."_

"Thank you."

_"Good Luck, Carson, I may even drop by the SG-C before you go..."_

"I'll meet you at the door?"

_"I'll give you a call, Carson."_

"Good bye James." I turned back to John with a huge grin plastered onto my face. "It's done."

"What's done?" Craig asked, confused.

"Of course, it's up to you but I'd like you to accompany me back to Atlantis with John. Permanently." Craig's eyes shot open wide, "What the hell, Carson?"

"It's been negotiated with the head of the British Navy and if you so wish you can join forces with the United States Air Force and work in Atlantis."

"Last time I checked, you couldn't just call up the head of the Navy." I let out a chuckle, "You couldn't," I corrected, "But the President could."

"I'm sorry but I'm really not following anymore." Carson smirked at me before smiling at Craig. "James Walsh is an old friend of mine." Again, Craig's eyes shot open, "You're friends with the president?" Carson nodded, "I didn't realize the moron had gone and become president until a few weeks ago, but yes."

Craig sunk back into the bed with a sigh, "Jesus."

"What do you say Craig?" I asked softly and he looked at me, his brain working overtime. "I…I'm injured, I'm can't go anywhere if I tried." Carson shook his head, "Again, this is going to sound very Star Trek but we've got a ship in orbit that's capable of 'beaming us up' and then transporting us to Cheyenne Mountain without even moving a muscle." Craig looked over to me for confirmation.

"If you chose to come with us Craig, we'll pack up your things, beam you to Colorado and ship you through the gate. We could be gone in twenty four hours if you wished it." He looked at me in shock. "I…" He stuttered.

"It's a big decision, it was for us too. You just have to ask yourself: Is there anything keeping you here?" There were a few moments of silence before Craig replied more confidently. "No. I thought there was Dad but that's all changed now."

"Then let's spring you out of here, get you home and get you packed."

**So...they're taking Craig back to Atlantis with them :) What do you think?**


End file.
